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Vol.  31         December,  1927        No.  2 

Dedicating  the  Temple 

ELDER  RICHARD  R.  LYMAN 

Book  of  Mormon  Custody 

ELDER  MELVIN  J.  BALLARD 

Tobacco  and  Humanity 

II— L.  W.  OAKS,  M.  D. 

Spirit  of  Christmas 

irvin  l.  warnock.  ida  stewart  peay. 
d.  c.  retsloff.  a  henderson 

The  Miracle  of  Joseph  Smith 

frank  c.  steele 

The  Tithe  of  the  Land 

ida  w.  brown 


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m 


VACATION  TIME 


SPECIAL  WINTER  EXCURSION  FARES 


via 


Southern  Pacific  Lines 


TO  LOS  ANGELES  AND  RETURN  BOTH  WAYS  VIA 
SAN  FRANCISCO  

TO  LOS  ANGELES  VIA  SAN  FRANCISCO  RETURNING 
DIRECT  OR  ROUTE  REVERSED 


$50.50 

$58.00 


Proportionately  low  fares  from  all  other  points  in  UTAH,  IDAHO  and  MONTANA 
STOPOVERS  ALLOWED  AT  ALL  POINTS 

TICKETS  ON  SALE  DAILY— FINAL  RETURN  LIMIT,  EIGHT  MONTHS 

For  further  information  CALL,  WRITE  or  PHONE 
PRESS  BANCROFT,  GENERAL  AGENT 


41  SO.  MAIN  ST. 


SALT  LAKE  CITY 


PHONE  WASATCH  3008—3078 


LDiS  Garments 

at  prices  direct  from 
factory  to  you 


For  Ladies 

No.   81 — Plat 

Weave    _...$  .85 

No.   82— Ribbed 

Lt.  Wgt 1.25 

No.     83 — Fine 

Quality  Cot- 
ton    _ 1.50 

No.    862 — Fine 

Mercerized 

Lisle    1.95 

No.    822 — Silk 

Stripe,  Med. 

Wgt 1.50 

No.    821 — Extra 

Fine    Silk 

Stripe    1.95 

No.    826 — Fine 

Rayon   Silk....  2.95 


By  ordering  garments  direct, 
you  save  agent's  commission 
and  thus  get  better  quality 
for  less  money.  Order  by 
number  and  send  bust  meas- 
ure, height  and  weight — we 
guarantee  the  fit. 
Specify  OLD  or  NEW  style. 
Light  weights  usually  made 
with  short  sleeves  and  %  legs, 
according  to  Temple  pattern. 
Heavy  weights  regularly  made 
with  long  sleeves  and  long 
legs.  Garments  marked,  15c 
a  pair  extra.  We  prepay 
postage  to  all  parts  of  U.  S. 
Samples    on   request 


For   Men 

No.    92 — Ribbed 
Light  Wgt $1.25 

No.    93 — Ribbed 
Extra  Fine....  1.50 

No.   925— Med. 

Light  Wgt 1.75 

No.  97 — Med. 
Wgt.  Silk 
Stripe    1.95 

No.    975— Med. 

Heavy   Wgt...  1.75 

No.   9107— Wool 
and    Cotton 
Mixture    4.00 


SALT  LAKE  KNITTING   STORE 

70  Main  St.,  Salt  Lake  City 
"Oldest  Knitting  Store  In  Utah" 


WHEN    WRITING   TO   ADVERTISERS,   PLEASE   MENTION   THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


AN  OPPORTUNITY  FOR  SELF  IMPROVEMENT 
IS  OPEN  TO  YOU 

ENROLL  FOR  THE  WINTER  QUARTER  AT 

Brigham  Young  University 

DECEMBER  5  TO  MARCH  9 

Scores  Of  Courses  In  The  Fields  You  Like  Await  You 

The  Winter  Quarter  is  ideal  for  study  as  well  as  for  social  activity. 
During  that  quarter  the  basketball  season,  the  dramatic  season,  the 
operatic  season,  and  the  dance  season  are  in  full  swing;.  Leadership 
Week  in  January  gives  the  "Y"  students  an  opportunity  to  make 
important  contacts. 

Write  for  Information 

PROVO,  UTAH 


No  substitute  for  Life  Insurance 
can  be  found  until  you  find 
a  Remedy  for  Death 

Our  modern  up-to-date  contracts  afford  complete  protection. 

Our  insurance  in  force  including  the  Double  Indemnity 
feature   has   passed   the   $38,747,867    mark 

Our  Premiums  and  Interest  Income  now  total  between 

SEVEN  AND  EIGHT  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  DOLLARS 

PER  ANNUM 

Inter-Mountain  Life  Insurance  Company 

J.  0.  CARTER,  President 

Home  Office,  Twelfth  Floor 

Continental  Bank  Building  Salt  Lake  City.  Utah 

A   few   intelligent  men   to   enter   the   salesmanship   field   desired 

Thorough    instructions   given 

WHEN    WRITING   TO   ADVERTISERS,   PLEASE   MENTION    THE   IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


THE  WINTER  QUARTER 

AT  THE 

UTAH  AGRICULTURAL 
COLLEGE 

Will  Open  Wednesday,  January  4,  1928 


New  and  Continuing  Courses  will  be  offered  in  the  Schools  of: 

AGRICULTURE  EDUCATION 

ARTS  AND  SCIENCE  ENGINEERING 

COMMERCE  HOME  ECONOMICS 


Many  beginning  courses  will  be  given  in  the  Winter 
Quarter  particularly  in  the  Schools  of  Agriculture  and 
Engineering. 

A  course  leading  to  the  degree  in  forestry  is  now  offered 
at  the  College. 

The  College  is  on  the  accepted  list  of  the  Association 
of  American  Universities,  which  fact  establishes  the  high 
scholarship  of  the  Institution. 

Write  for  Catalogue  and  Information 

Utah  Agricultural  College 

LOGAN,  UTAH 

WHEN    WRITING    TO    ADVERTISERS.  PLEASE   MENTION    THE   IMPROVEMENT   BRA 


EMENTS 


Tobacco  Tracts — The  No-Tobacco  League 
has  printed  a  large  edition  of  one-page  leaf- 
lets on  "Why  Smoke,  Anyway,"  "A  Stupid 
Slavery,"  "Tobacco  vs  Thrift,"  and  "Smoke- 
less Breathing  Air."  They  are  brief,  terse, 
pungent.  These  leaflets  should  be  put  in  the 
hands  of  every  child  and  young  person.  A 
2c  stamp  will  bring  samples.  The  League 
will  appreciate  the  cooperation  of  all  who  be- 
lieve in  their  motto:  "Let  us  keep  the  young 
folks  clean  from  the  blight  of  nicotine.  Let 
us  teach  the  youth  the  truth  about  tobacco." 
— Address  Chas.  M.  Fillmore,  General  Secre- 
tary, 821  Occidental  Building,  Indianapolis. 
Indiana. 

In  this  connection  Dr.  Oaks'  closing  article, 
"Tobacco  and  Humanity,"  in  this  number, 
will  interest  you.  Nothing  more  remarkable 
could  be  said  on  the  subject. 

The  Spirit  of  Christmas  is  illustrated  with 
touching  power  in  the  story  for  young  high 
school  and  college  men  by  Irvin  L.  Warnock. 
in  this  number:  and  by  Ida  Stewart  Peay,  in 
her  characteristic  style  exemplifying  this  same 
spirit  among  the  common  people.  Both  will 
make  the  reader  resolve  to  spend  the  Christmas 
in  the  right  way  to  provide  real  joy. 

Elder  Melvin  J.  Ballard,  in  an  illustrated 
article,  in  this  number,  calls  attention  to  our 
binding  power  of  promise  as  custodians  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  The  day  is  approaching 
when  we  are  to  discharge  that  obligation. 
There  is  need,  therefore,  that  the  young  men 
shall  realize  the  responsibility  resting  upon 
them  to  come  out  of  their  isolation  to  be 
saviors  of  the  House  of  Israel.  There  are  mil- 
lions of  descendants  of  father  Lehi.  Their 
hearts  are  to  be  touched  by  the  power  of  the 
gospel  of  the  Almighty  until  they  shall  be 
brought  to  the  light  and  knowledge  of  the 
truth.  The  youth  of  the  Church  are  urged 
to  be  prepared  to  discharge  this  holy  duty. 

More  literary  style — "I  congratulate  you 
upon  the  improvements  in  the  November  num- 
ber of  the  Era.  It  has  taken  on  a  more  literary 
style,  which  is  one  thing  I  like  about  it.  The 
cover  design  is  typical  and  interesting,  the 
type  is  better,  and  the  subject  matter  is  all 
good.  Wish  you  would  keep  on  developing 
a  literary  style  for  the  Era.  it  would  be  a  big 
boost  for  obtaining  the  50,000  subscription 
list  which  you  want  to  reach.  Of  course,  I 
would  not  try  to  alter  its  purpose  in  any  way. 
but  merely  to  encourage  a  broader  and  finer 
literary  standard  which  would  give  to  the  Era 
an  appeal  to  the  strictly  cultural  taste." — 
Lamont  Johnson,  Missoula,  Montana. 


1.  states  that  a  hunt  for  a  deposit  of  fossils  in 
the  House  Mountains  of  Utah,  lost  for  50 
years  has  been  ended  by  an  amateur  collector, 
Frank  Beckwith  of  Delta,  Utah,  who  has 
sent  the  collection  to  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitute at  Washington.  The  deposit,  reported 
by  a  pioneer  western  geologic  survey,  a  half 
century  ago.  had  been  sought  unsuccessfully 
for  many  years  by  the  late  Dr.  Charles  D. 
Walcott,  a  leading  scientist,  and  the  institu- 
tion's secretary.  The  deposit  is  of  fossil 
trilobites,  a  shelled  invertebrate  animal  which 
was  the  dominant  life  of  the  sea  many  million 
years  ago.  They  completely  disappeared  at 
about  the  time  the  coal  deposits  in  the  eastern 
United  States  were  laid  down.  Dr.  Walcott 
believed  that  life  had  existed  on  the  earth  at 
a  much  earlier  period  than  had  been  supposed, 
and  the  trilobites  furnished  his  principal  evi- 
dence. 

Mr.  Beckwith,  well  known  to  the  readers 
of  the  Improvement  Era,  informs  us  that  the 
little  strip  of  land  which  had  been  for  so 
long  "lost"  is  about  ten  feet  wide  by  about 
a  hundred  feet  long.  He  stumbled  onto  it  by 
luck,  only,  when  hunting  water.  He  says  that 
tiny  strip  is  the  richest  in  fossils  of  that 
geologic  age  of  any  place  he  has  ever  found. 
Besides  his  own  visits,  he  took  to  it  Dr.  Fred 
J.  Pack  and  Professor  Asa  A.  L.  Mathews  of 
the  University  of  Utah,  former  Professor  A. 
R.  Morris  of  the  A.  C.  at  Logan,  also  Charles 
Kelly,  an  amateur  collector  of  Indian  relics. 
He  sent  the  Smithsonian  Institution  3,300 
specimens  of  trilobites,  in  which  number  were 
eleven  different  species,  and  one  may  possibly 
be  later  determined  as  a  new  one  for  that 
locality,  not  heretofore  found  in  Utah.  Mr. 
Beckwith  will  appear,  in  the  January  Era,  in 
"The  Wrangling  of  the  Mountains." 

Dorothy  C.  Retsloff  has  written  a  number 
of  stories  and  other  communications  for  the 
Improvement  Era.  Her  story.  "The  Spirit  of 
Love"  in  this  number  may  be  thought  per- 
haps by  some  of  the  more  mature  people  too 
simple  for  grown-ups.  Those  who  think  so. 
are  asked  to  ponder  the  closing  paragraph. 
"A  little  child  shall  lead  them."  we  are  told. 
There  are  many  who  need  the  instruction. 
The  author  says:  "From  the  hills  of  Adult- 
ville  we  many  times  learn  lessons  by  walking 
along  the  paths  in  the  Valley  of  Childhood. 
It  is  a  juvenile  story  for  grown-ups." 

Glen  Perrins  writes:  "Congratulations!  and 
I  don't  mean  maybe.  The  new  dress  of  the 
Era  is  great !  That  type,  pictures,  style,  sure 
catches  the  eye." 


An   associated   press   dispatch    of   November  O.    F.    Ursenbach,    a    friend    and    an    early 


EDITORS'   ANNOUNCEMENTS,    CONTINUED 


worker  for  the  Improvement  Era,  in  the  days 
of  its  founding,  sends  us  this  from  Los 
Angeles.  California:  "May  I  express  my  con- 
gratulations on  the  changes  made  in  the  Era. 
beginning  Volume  31.  Really,  it  does  not 
seem  that  long  since  I  had  the  privilege  of 
working  on  the  first  prospectus  of  the  mag- 
azine, in  connection  with  J.  Golden  Kimball." 

Anent  the  message  from  the  Maori  Agri- 
cultural College,  Hastings.  N.  Z.,  in  this  issue, 
it  must  be  confessed  that  this  institution  is 
contributing  beneficent  service  to  the  people 
in    the    islands    of    the   seas.      The    institution 


not  only  teaches  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  its 
saving  principles,  and  righteous  living  under  its 
influence,  but  is  also  unselfishly,  even  as  our 
missionaries,  aiding  in  the  temporal  develop- 
ment, and  spiritual  blessing  of  the  pcopl?  con- 
cerned. Altcn  Christenscn.  secretary  of  the 
College,  sends  these  words  of  encouragement 
to  the  Era:  "We  receive  the  Era  with  hearty 
welcome.  Both  the  elders  and  the  students 
obtain  satisfaction  untold  in  the  perusal  of  its 
pages.  May  your  success  be  continued."  Long 
life  and  increased  power  and  usefulness  to  the 
Maori  Agricultural  College. 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA,    DECEMBER,     1927 

HEBER  J.   GRANT  {     Editors  Melvin  J.  Ballard,  Business  Mgr. 

EDWARD  H.  ANDERSON      \  Moroni  Snow,  Assistant 

The  First  Presidency  of  the  Church  -  Frontispiece 

Editor's  Announcements       --------  89 

A  Baby  Song A.  ha  Cox  91 

Dedication  of  the  Arizona  Temple.    Illustrated        - 

Elder  Richard  R.   Lyman  93 

A  Missionary  Mecca Daniel  Johnson  100 

For  Sale — A  Billion  Christmas  Seals         -         -         -       A.  Schaeffer,  Jr.  102 

What  is  Your  Boast?  _.A  Poem         -         -         -        Bertha  A.  Kleinman  102 
Our  Duty  as  Custodians  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.    Illustrated 

Elder   Melvin   J.    Ballard  103 

On  "Keeping"  Christmas A.  Henderson  108 

Tobacco  and  Humanity — II.        -        -        -        L.  Weston  Oaks,  M.  D.  109 

The  Spirit  of  Christmas.    A  Story        -         -         -         Itvin  L.  Wamock  1 1 8 

The  Spirit  of  Love.     A  Story         -         -         -         -         D.  C.  Retsloff  125 

Forgiveness.     A  Poem        ------        Gertie  Gibbs  126 

Caddie  Takes  a  Risk.    A  Story         -                                    Ida  Stewart  Peay  127 

GLEAMS  OF  HOPE.     A  POEM           -                                            Weston  N.  Nordgran  133 

Child-Mother  Mary.    A  Poem         -                                    Grace  Ingles  Frost  1 3  4 

Larry  Larson,  Specialist.    A  Story         -         -         -         Albert  R.  Lyman  1 3  5 

Tithe  of  the  Land.     A  Story         -         -         -         -         Ida  W.  Brown  144 

The  Miracle  of  Joseph  Smith         -                                    Frank  C.  Steele  147 

Finis.    A  Poem Ezra  J.  Poutsen  148 

The  Scoop.     A  Story         -         -         -         -         -         -         W.  E.  Sadler  149 

IT'S  THE  VIM.      A  POEM           -----          Susan   T.  Jennings  152 

Current  Events -        -        -  153 

Outings.    Illustrated          -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  155 

Messages  from  the  Missions.     Illustrated         -         -         -         -  158 

Editor's  Table — Law  Observance 164 

Dependable  Workers  Wanted 165 

'His  Blood  be  Upon  Us  and  Our  Children."     A  Poem 

-           -              E.    Cecil    McGavin  166 

Priesthood  Quorums         -                   -                   -  167 

Fairest  Visions.     A  Poem        ...        -        Helen  Kimball  Orgill  169 

Mutual  Work 1 70 

Passing  Events  -------  176 

Published  monthly.  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  $2  per  annum.  Entered  at  the  Post  Office,  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah,  as  second  class  matter.  Acceptance  for  mailing  at  special  rate  of  postage  provided  for  in 
section  1103,  Act  of  October  3,   1917,  authorized  on  July  2,   1918. 


A  Baby  Song 


Hear  again  that  sweet  old  story 
Of  a  clear  and  holy  night 

When  the  angels  sang  in  glory; 
And    a     new    star   beaming 
bright 

Made  a  pathway  for  a  baby 
Out  of  golden  gleams  of  light. 

Startled    shepherds    heard    the 
singing, 
Clear  as  bells  at  Christmas 
ring, 
Sacred    strains    from    Heaven, 
bringing 
Tidings  of  a  new-born  King. 
Oh!     What  tribute  for  a  baby, 
Who  is  such  a  little  thing! 

Wise  men  wondered  when  they 
sighted 
Radiant  rays  upon  the  earth. 
From  a  star  prepared  and  lighted 

To  proclaim  a  baby's  birth, 
And   to   show   with   light   from 
Heaven 
What  a  tiny  babe  is  worth. 


But  the  world,  in  sin  dejected, 
Never  heard  the  Angel  song, 
And  the  light  was  unreflected 
By    the    souls    submerged    in 
wrong; 
Jesus  came  unsung,  unheeded 
By    the    blind     and    groping 
throng. 

Even  we,  in  sin  and  sorrow, 
Lightly     heed     each     baby's 
part, 
When     the     greatness     of     to- 
morrow 
Beats  divinely  in  its  heart. 
High  or  humble  be  its  mission, 
It  is  still  God's  work  of  art. 

Every  babe  is  not  a  Jesus; 

Every  star  is  not  so  bright; 
But  the  angels  sing  to  please  us. 
And    a    new    star    blooms    at 
night 
For  each  child  that  comes  from 
Heaven 
With  its  little  gleam  of  light. 


And  if  we  but  look  and  listen, 
We  may  hear  an  angel  strain, 

Or  a  new-made  star  may  glisten 
When  our  hope  is  on  the  wane — 

Babies  all  bring  light  from  Heaven, 
And  they  do  not  come  in  vain. 


Improvement  Era 


Vol.  XXXI  DECEMBER,  1927  No.  2 


Dedication  of  the  Arizona  Temple 

Mesa,  Arizona,  October  23-26,  1927 
By  Elder  Richard  R.  Lyman,  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 

ANOTHER  temple  dedicated!  This  makes  nine,  eight  of 
which  still  stand.  Built,  completed,  dedicated,  by  Latter- 
day  Saints,  seven  of  these  are  used  in  sacred  ordinance  work, 
for  both  the  living  and  the  dead. 

The  official  visitors,  fifty-two  in  number,  spent  a  day  in  Los 
Angeles,  the  forenoon  with  officials  of  the  Los  Angeles  stake,  the 
noon  hour  with  the  California  mission,  and  the  afternoon  under 
the  direction  of  the  Hollywood  stake.  The  day  came  to  a  perfect 
close,  when,  as  guests  of  Mr.  Sid  Grauman,  all  were  thrilled  with 
the  impressive  presentation  of  "The  King  of  Kings." 

Visions  made  realities  in  the  new  "Chinese  Theatre,"  pictures 
highly  religious  and  with  a  most  stirring  appeal,  the  "Hallelujah 
Chorus,"  rendered  as  only  a  great  orchestra  and  an  immense  choir 
can  present  it — all  these  combined  to  make  an  ideal  preparation  for 
the  dedication  of  the  temple.  We  still  hear  those  great  words, 
"King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  and  he  shall  reign  forever  and 
ever!" 

After  a  few  hours  of  rest,  in  the  day  time,  and  one  night  of 
dreams  in  Mesa,  we  arose  with  the  throngs  of  people  in  the  midst 
of  a  scene  of  unrivaled  beauty,  the  center  of  which  was  the  temple. 
Says  one  Arizona  paper:  "Perhaps  the  greatest  multitude  ever 
assembled  in  Arizona  for  a  religious  program,  gathered  at  sunrise 
yesterday  in  Mesa."  There  were  acres  of  people,  estimated  at  from 
five  to  eight  thousand;  within  the  temple  there  were  twelve  or 
fifteen  hundred,  while  in  the  ward  chapels,  and  in  the  Mezona  Rec- 
reation Hall  were  from  three  to  six  thousand  more,  all  of  whom 
heard  the  program  through  amplifiers. 

As  the  eyes  of  these  thousands  turned  toward  the  temple  and 


DEDICATION   OF    THE    ARIZONA    TEMPLE  95 

the  rising  sun,  they  beheld  the  combined  choirs  of  the  Los  Angeles 
and  Hollywood  stakes  massed  on  the  roof  of  the  temple.  They 
might  have  exclaimed,   "Who  are  these  arrayed  in  white?"   . 

Since  it  was  through  Jo3eph  Smith  the  Prophet  that  this  intense 
temple-building  spirit  was  awakened,  it  was  fitting  that  at  daybreak 
Stephens'  masterpiece,  "The  Vision,"  should  be  sung  on  the  roof 
of  this  newest  and  latest  temple,  erected  in  the  name  of  the  King 
of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords. 

Of  this  scene  the  Arizona  Republican  remarks:  "A  silvery 
sun  appeared  radiant  over  the  hazy  mountains.  The  great  choir 
was  standing.  A  hush  settled  over  the  multitude.  A  man  raised 
his  arm,  and  to  his  leadership  150  voices  rang  out  in  an  impressive 
song  of  praise  to  the  Lord  of  the  universe,  while  5,000  members  of 
a  faith  unique  in  the  annals  of  man  breathed  silent  prayers  for 
divine  blessing  on  a  new  temple.  Then  for  two  hours  followed  in 
beautiful  words  and  music  the  ever-marvelous  story  of  the  boy 
Joseph  Smith,  the  boy  who  heard  and  saw  many  visions,  who, 
according  to  the  sacred  story,  received  from  his  God  divine  revelation 
and  inspiration  which  caused  him  to  found  the  'Mormon'  Church." 

At  the  sunrise  service  President  Heber  J.  Grant  expressed  grati- 
tude to  the  governors,  who  had  always  extended  many  courtesies; 
to  the  newspapers  for  their  elaborate  editions  setting  forth  the 
program  of  dedication;  to  the  state  government  for  the  welcome 
it  had  extended;  and  to  those  who  were  not  members  of  the  Church 
who  attended  the  services. 

Then,  in  a  short,  intense  address.  Miss  Lucile  McMurrin 
explained  "The  Vision."  Had  her  voice  been  the  voice  of  an  "angel 
flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel 
to  preach  to  every  nation,  kindred,  tongue  and  people,"  it  could 
hardly  have  been  more  impressive.  Her  clear-cut  words  fell  dis- 
tinctly upon  the  ears  of  the  assembled  thousands. 

Then  came  the  dedicatory  service  proper  within  the  temple. 
The  words  of  President  Anthony  W.  Ivins  aroused  deep  emotion. 
In  his  clear,  mild,  distinct  voice  and  accurate  language,  he  explained 
that  he  is  an  Arizona  pioneer,  having  come  with  an  expedition  in 
1875.  There  were  no  railroads  and  few  settlers  at  that  time.  "Even 
then,"  he  said,  "I  saw  big  possibilities  for  the  establishment  of  an 
empire  in  this  the  Salt  River  Valley;  but  my  fondest  dreams  have 
been  exceeded  by  its  marvelous  industrial  development."  For  the 
Church,  for  the  down-trodden  Lamanites,  and  for  the  world,  he 
declared  this  day  of  dedication  marks  the  beginning  of  important 
changes. 

During  the  impressive  prayer  of  dedication,  delivered  by  Pres- 


96  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

ident  Heber  J.  Grant,  at  the  close  of  the  remarks  of  President  Ivins, 
tears  came  to  the  eyes  of  many  listeners,  some  of  them  not  members 
of  the  Church. 

The  President  invoked  divine  blessings  on  all  mankind,  on  our 
country  and  its  institutions.  On  behalf  of  the  whole  Church  he 
expressed  profound  thanks  to  the  Giver  of  all  good  gifts  for  the 
blessings  already  received. 

After  remembering  the  general  authorities  of  the  Church  he 
continued:  "O  Father,  bless,  we  beseech  thee,  those  who  preside 
over  the  stakes  of  Zion,  and  in  all  the  wards  and  branches  of  the 
Church,  and  over  the  various  quorums  of  the  Priesthood,  whether 
the  Melchizedek  or  the  Aaronic.  Bless  those  who  preside  over 
the  missions  throughout  the  world,  together  with  all  thy  servants 
and  handmaids  who  have  gone  forth  to  proclaim  to  the  people  of 
the  world  the  restoration  to  the  earth  of  the  plan  of  life  and  salvation. 

"We  pray  that  thy  blessings  may  be  upon  the  kings  and  rulers 
in  all  nations,  that  they  may  minister  in  justice  and  righteousness 
and  give  liberty  and  freedom  to  the  people  over  whom  they  rule. 

"We  thank  thee  for  this  land  of  liberty  in  which  we  dwell, 
which  thou  hast  said  is  'a  land  choice  above  all  other  lands.'  We  are 
grateful  that  thou  did'st  inspire  the  noble  men  who  framed  the 
Constitution  of  our  beloved  Country,  and  we  beseech  thee  that 
the  principles  of  that  document  may  ever  be  maintained;  that  con- 
tention and  bitterness  may  cease,  and  that  peace  and  patriotism, 
love  and  loyalty,  may  prevail.      *      *      * 

"We  beseech  thee,  O  Lord,  that  thou  wilt  stay  the  hand  of 
the  destroyer  among  the  descendants  of  Lehi  who  reside  in  this  land, 
and  give  unto  them  increasing  virility  and  more  abundant  health, 
that  they  may  not  perish  as  a  people,  but  that  from  this  t'me  forth 
they  may  increase  in  numbers  and  in  strength  and  influence,  that 
all  the  great  and  glorious  promises  made  concerning  the  descendants 
of  Lehi  may  be  fulfilled  in  them." 

Perhaps  no  other  part  of  the  President's  appeal  to  divine 
Providence  moved  more  deeply  the  feelings  of  his  hearers  than  did 
his  supplication  for  the  youth: 

"Keep  the  youth  of  thy  people  in  the  straight  and  narrow  path 
that  leads  to  thee;  preserve  them  from  the  pitfalls  and  snares  that 
are  laid  for  their  feet.  Oh,  Father,  may  our  children  grow  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Protect  them 
from  infidelity  and  unbelief,  and  give  unto  them  a  testimony  of 
the  divinity  of  this  work  as  thou  hast  given  it  unto  us.  Preserve 
them  in  purity  and  truth  and  lead  them  in  the  way  of  salvation. 

"We  dedicate  the  ground,  and  the  building,  with  all  the  fur- 


98  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

nishings  and  fittings  thereof,  and  everything  pertaining  thereunto, 
from  the  foundation  to  the  roof,  to  thee,  our  Father  and  our  God." 

In  all  these  services  no  moment  was  more  thrilling  than  when, 
under  the  direction  of  Professor  H.  H.  Otte  the  combined  St.  Joseph 
stake  choirs  sang,  with  tremendous  effect,  the  "Hallelujah  Chorus," 
the  words;  "King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  Lords,  forever  and  forever," 
recalling  the  same  great  anthem  in  the  Chinese  Theatre  at  Los 
Angeles. 

On  the  concert  program  Tuesday  night  there  were  actually 
twenty-nine  numbers.  The  performers  came  from  all  the  stakes 
of  the  temple  district — Hollywood,  Los  Angeles,  St.  Johns,  St. 
Joseph,  Snowflake,  Maricopa,  and  Juarez — each  with  its  choicest 
and  most  expert  musical  performers  so  thoroughly  prepared  that 
there  was  hardly  any  reference  to  written  words  or  music. 

There  were  choruses  by  combined  choirs  led  by  different  con- 
ductors of  various  wards  and  stakes.  There  were  vocal  and 
instrumental  solos,  also  readings  and  short  addresses.  The  trumpet 
did  its  part;  there  were  sextets,  quartets,  duets,  as  well  as  solos. 

We  had  reason  to  note  the  physical  strength,  the  mental  power, 
the  artistic  talent,  and  the  efficient  training  of  those  who  furnished 
numbers.  A  great  night,  a  great  occasion.  Concerning  it  the 
Arizona  Gazette  says: 

"The  roof  of  the  temple  became  a  shrine  before  which  the 
offering  of  song  was  made.  Across  the  fields  of  grain — dipping 
low  to  the  listening  desert,  and  topping  the  hills  of  the  border-land 
— music  triumphed.  In  the  hearts  of  the  older  'Mormons,'  the 
music  awoke  and  stirred  vivid  memories:  but  on  the  ears  of  the 
younger  generation,  it  fell  like  a  bugle  call  of  a  militant  march  of 
progress.  The  bold,  free  spirit  of  the  early  land  had  served  its 
day;  men  and  women  bred  of  the  same  belief  were  creating  a  newer 
spirit,  and  pledging  their  vows  to  'carry  on.'  Suddenly  on  the  air 
there  winged  the  song  of  an  Indian  woman — a  prayer  of  praise  and 
hope  and  joy;  as  her  voice  died  on  the  night,  a  Navajo  Indian  man 
sang  in  his  native  tongue  'The  Prayer  of  Supplication.' 

"Few  scenes  in  the  present  day  could  be  more  picturesque  than 
that  created  by  the  dozens  of  wagons  and  buggies  carrying  the 
Maricopa  and  Papago  Indians  to  the  service.  All  yesterday  after- 
noon and  late  into  the  night  the  horses  patiently  stood  while  their 
owners  worshiped  silently — or  in  many  cases  slept  in  peace  on  the 
grassy  court.     It  was  their  day — the  day  of  the  Lamanites. 

"Huge  amplifiers  carried  the  voices  out  over  the  audience.  The 
voices  of  the  choirs — three  hundred  strong — rang  out  in  perfect 
unison,  and  the  notes  of  the  wind  instruments  and  the  piano  were 


X   21  > 


100  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

in  splendid  harmony.  Even  the  least  sensitized  felt  the  poetry  of  the 
evening — felt  it  beat  on  restless  wings,  heard  the  call  of  the  crusaders, 
and  gloried  with  a  great  people  in  a  magnificent  achievement. 

"Mesa  became  the  city  of  the  world  last  night.  The  nation 
was  watching  it,  and  flashes  on  the  wire  told  of  the  important 
feature — or  that  'Mormons'  from  all  over  America  were  there,  and 
all  of  Arizona  could  be  found. 

"The  dedicatory  services  were  like  nothing  that  had  been 
seen  here  before.  No  religious  phalanx  of  the  New  World  could 
have  more  significance.  The  President  of  the  five  hundred  thousand 
'Mormons'  of  the  world,  Heber  J.  Grant,  like  no  other  dignitary 
or  prelate  known,  mingled  with  the  audience  and  clasped  the  hands 
of  'Mormons'  and  those  of  other  beliefs  with  like  sincerity." 

In  four  days,  ten  wonderful  dedicatory  services  were  held. 
Eleven  well-trained  choirs  furnished  music.  In  one  of  the  sessions, 
two  choirs  sang.  In  each  session,  after  giving  the  sacred  "Hosanna" 
shout,  the  choir,  furnishing  the  music,  sang  Evan  Stephens' 
"Hosanna  Anthem." 

The  Celestial  room,  in  which  these  choirs  sang  and  in  which 
the  speakers  and  general  authorities  were  seated,  is  located  in  the 
very  top  of  the  temple.  When  looking  down  the  long  stairway 
which  leads  from  this  room  of  splendor  to  the  temple  entrance  on 
the  west,  one  had  the  feeling  of  being  located  near  the  top  of  a 
tall  cone. 

It  was  from  this  position  that  the  choirs  with  telling  effect 
sang  in  unison  "Hosanna,  to  God  and  the  Lamb!  The  House  of  the 
Lord  is  completed."  All  present  were  filled  with  awe  when  the 
choir  continued  singing  the  anthem  while  the  audience  sang  the 
familiar  hymn,  "The  Spirit  of  God  like  a  fire  is  burning,  the  Latter- 
day  glory  begins  to  come  forth." 

A  Missionary  Mecca 

Daniel  Johnson,  Book  Commissarian,  California  Mission 

The  dedication  of  the  Arizona  temple,  and,  perchance,  receive  a  ride  from  some 
brought  the  Saints  from  far  and  near  to  hospitable  traveler.  It  is  a  wonderful  op- 
Mesa,  where  it  is  located.  With  them  portunity  of  preaching  the  gospel, 
came  also  the  missionaries  laboring  in  the  Wherever  missionaries  go,  they  take 
different  mission  fields.  There  were  pres-  with  them  the  spirit  of  preaching  the  gos- 
ent  about  135,  representing  the  California,  pel:  and  so,  on  one  of  the  street  corners 
Western  States.  Mexican,  Central  States,  in  Mesa,  they  congregated  together  on  the 
and  the  Northwestern  States  missions.  nights  of  Saturday   and  Sunday  and  held 

The  missionaries  traveled  to  the  temple  street  meetings,   gathering  large  crowds  to 

by  way  of  the  train,  automobile,  and  the  listen    to    the    gospel    message    expounded 

"Missionary    Special,"     so-called    by    the  from  the  street  corner  as  well  as  from  the 

elders,   when  they  travel  on   the  highway  temple. 


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For  Sale — A  Billion  Christmas  Seals 


By  A.  Schaeffer,  Jr. 


Few  persons  realize  the  magnitude  of  the 
annual  Christmas  Seal  Sale.  Looking  at  a 
single  seal,  it  is  hard  to  realize  that  it  is  only 
one  of  a  billion  and  a  half,  which  had  to  be 
printed  a  whole  year  in  advance  of  the  Decem- 
ber sale.  He  who  sees  in  the  tiny  symbol 
merely  a  gay  scrap  of  paper,  a  yearly  reminder 
of  an  obligation  to  be  met  more  or  iess  grudg- 
ingly, is  missing  out  on  one  of  life's  finest 
experiences,  losing  the  conscious  joy  of  having 
a  share  in  one  of  its  greatest  achievements.  For 
the  Penny  Christmas  Seal,  pledged  to  the 
wiping  of  the  tragedy  of  tuberculosis,  has 
come  to  be  a  virbrant,  vital  force  not  only 
through  the  month  of  December  each  year, 
but  through  all  the  other  months  as  well. 

Think  of  the  power  of  it!  A  tiny  seal 
that  costs  but  a  cent.  Strange  weapon  with 
vfhich  to  fight  the  greatest  of  all  disease  foes, 
and  yet  in  its  apparent  insignificance  lies  its 
great  strength.  For  even  a  child  can  buy  a  seal. 
Even  a  child  can  share  in  its  great  work. 
Does  not  much  of  the  power  of  the  Christmas 
Seal  lie  revealed  in  that  casual  phrase.  If  th? 
seal  did  no  more  than  to  impress  on  the  child 
mind  its  message  of  "health  for  all."  would  it 
not  be  doing  something  great,   something  tre- 


mendously well  worth  while?  But  the  seal 
does  far  more  than  that.  It  is  building  in  the 
present  as  well  as  for  the  future. 

The  annual  Christmas  Seal  Sale  calls  into 
action  a  great  band  of  volunteers  who  make 
a  whole-hearted  contribution  of  service  that 
cannot  begin  to  be  measured  in  dollars  and 
cents,  even  though  it  represents  so  vast  a  sum 
in  money  value  alone.  Think  of  what  it 
means  to  have  this  army  of  influential  men 
and  women  taking  personal  charge  in  their 
various  communities  of  the  raising  of  funds 
with  which  to  carry  on  the  fight  against  tuber- 
culosis and  all  preventable  diseases.  Think  of 
its  educational  value! 

Here  is  a  civic  service  of  the  highest  type, 
service  more  far-reaching  than  can  ever  be  told 
or  known.  It  is  a  tremendous  job  which  the 
Christmas  Seal  finances,  and  no  one  group  can 
carry  it  through  successfully  alone.  It  has 
a  bearing  on,  a  relation  to,  every  effort  that 
contributes  to  the  building  up  of  a  community 
and  state,  for  success  in  the  fight  for  better 
health  inevitably  means  better  home  and  work- 
ing conditions  and  a  healthier,  happier  citizen- 
ship for  the  future. 


What  Is  Your  Boast 


What  is  your  boast  for  deeds  your  sires  have  done, 

What  their  renown? 
What  is  your  claim — their  scion  and  their  son, 
Till,   likewise,   deeds  of  valor  you  have  won 

And  handed  down? 

What  is  your  right  to  genealogy 

Of  ages  gone — 
Your  pride  in  genius  and  gentility, 
Till  you,  the  tptal  and  finality. 

Have   added  on! 

What  is  your  vaunt  of  kindred  and  of  folk — 

However  good, 
If  the  weft  and  sinew  of  the  oak. 
You  have  renounced  your  title  to  evoke 

A  finer  wood! 


Mesa,  Arizona. 


BERTHA   A.    KLEINMAN 


Our  Duty  as  Custodians  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon 

By  Elder  Melvin  J.  Ballard,  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 

i 

IN  directing  the  attention  of  the  members  of  the  Mutual  Im- 
provement Associations  of  the  Church  at  this  particular  time 
towards  the  Book  of  Mormon,  in  celebration  of  the  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  plates  having  been  delivered  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  we  earnestly  urge  that  our  membership  shall  read  the  book. 
Our  slogan  calls  for  a  fuller  knowledge  of  it,  and  by  earnestly  and 
prayerfully  reading  it  a  testimony  of  its  divine  origin  will  be  ob- 
tained through  the  Holy  Ghost. 

We  desire  to  impress  upon  the  young  people  of  the  Church,  as 
they  read  this  sacred  book,  in  search  of  a  testimony  of  its  divine 
authenticity,  the  fact  that  we  are  its  custodians.  That  is  a  very 
sacred  responsibility.  We  must  not  only  know  that  the  sacred  record 
is  true,  but  we  must  see  that  it  shall  go  forward  to  its  destiny. 

What  is  the  purpose  and  mission  of  the  Book  of  Mormon? 
The  answer  is  clearly  set  forth  in  Mormon's  preface,  as  found  on 
the  fly  leaf  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  itself.  It  is  there  stated  that 
these  plates  were  written  and  preserved  "to  show  unto  the  remnant 
of  the  house  of  Israel  what  great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  their 
fathers,  and  that  they  may  know  the  covenants  of  the  Lord,  that 
they  are  not  cast  off  forever — And  also  to  the  convincing  of  the 
Jew  and  Gentile  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Eternal  God,  mani- 
festing himself  unto  all  nations." 

In  the  third  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  we  find 
that  the  Lord  has  revealed  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  that  the 
testimony  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  must  come  "to  the  knowledge  of 
the  Lamanites,  and  the  Lemuelites  and  the  Ishmaelites,  who  dwindled 
in  unbelief  because  of  the  iniquity  of  their  fathers,  whom  the  Lord 
has  suffered  to  destroy  their  brethren  the  Nephites,  because  of  their 
iniquities  and  their  abominations; 

"And  for  this  very  purpose  are  these  plates  preserved  which 
contain  these  records,  that  the  promises  of  the  Lord  might  be  ful- 
filled, which  he  made  to  his  people; 

"And  that  the  Lamanites  might  come  to  the  knowledge  of  their 
fathers,  and  that  they  might  know  the  promises  of  the.  Lord,  and 
that  they  may  believe  the  gospel  and  rely  upon  the  merits  of  Jesus 


104 


IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


Christ,  and  be  glorified  through  faith  in  his  name,  and  that  through 
their  repentance  they  might  be  saved." 

All  this,  therefore,  clearly  indicates  that  the  chief  mission  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon  is  to  bring  to  pass  the  conversion,  redempt'on. 


Typical  Indians  of  the  Great  Andean  Plateau  of  Bolivia  and  Peru. 
There  are  Millions  of  Them 


and  restoration  of  this  branch  of  the  House  of  Israel — the  descend- 
ants of  Lehi. 

Now,  when  is  the  hour  to  come  that  this  mission  and  responsi- 
bility is  to  be  discharged?  It  was  the  anxiety  of  the  prophet  and 
the  early  elders  of  the  Church  to  carry  the  knowledge  of  the  Book  of 


OUR  DUTY  AS  CUSTODIANS  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON        105 

Mormon  to  the  Indians  of  this  country.  The  Prophet  began  the 
work.  It  was  carried  forward  by  many  missionaries.  A  few  received 
the  message.  Some  have  partaken  of  the  blessings  and  privileges 
of  the  gospel,  but  the  masses  of  the  Indians  in  this  country,  as  well 
as  in  other  portions  of  America,  have  not  yet  heard  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon. 

I  remember  my  own  contemplations  upon  the  subject,  many 
years  ago,  while  engaged  in  missionary  work  among  the  Indians  of 
Montana.  I  recall  having  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  some  three 
hundred  of  them,  and  while  waiting  for  my  translator  there  were 
many  questions  that  came  to  my  mind;  one  of  them:  Why  had  not 
the  Indians  received  the  gospel  before  this  time?  The  answer  came 
as  clearly  as  anything  I  have  ever  received;  the  right  time  was  not 
yet  come,  for  there  were  many  things  that  had  to  be  done  by  the 
hand  of  the  Gentiles  in  preparing  the  Lamanites  for  the  reception  of 
the  gospel.  Many  of  the  things  that  were  to  be  accomplished  were 
manifest  to  me,  and  so  I  feel  that  the  Lord  has  been  working  in 
preparing  this  branch  of  the  House  of  Israel  for  the  reception 
of  the  gospel. 

While  in  South  America,  last  year,  I  recall  pondering  upon  this 
same  subject  and  reading  those  precious  words  of  promise  concern- 
ing the  restoration  of  Lehi's  children.  There  came  very  clearly  to  me 
then  the  conviction  that  the  day  of  their  redemption  is  approaching. 

In  the  45th  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  the  Lord 
plainly  reveals  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  the  events  of  the  latter 
days,  and  describes  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  as  the  beginning 
of  the  times  of  the  Gentiles.  Speaking  of  the  House  of  Israel,  in 
the  25th  verse  of  that  section,  he  says: 

"But  they  shall  be  gathered  again,  but  they  shall  remain  until 
the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled." 

So  that  their  hour  was  not  to  come  until  the  times  of  the 
Gentiles  had  been  accomplished.  The  beginning  of  the  times  of  the 
Gentiles  is  clearly  set  forth  as  the  time  when  the  light  should  break 
forth,  or  the  beginning  of  this  gospel  dispensation.  In  the  39th 
verse  it  is  stated: 

"And  in  that  generation  shall  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be 
fulfilled." 

So,  we  are  left  to  conclude  that  the  generation  that  saw  the  light 
break  forth  should  not  pass  away  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  were 
concluded. 

I  am  not  saying  how  long  a  period  a  generation  is.  I  recognize 
that  the  Book  of  Mormon  has  generally  referred  to  a  hundred  years 


06 


IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


as  a  generation,  so  that  even  though  this  may  not  be  accurate,  it 
is  approximately  correct.  Therefore,  are  we  not  already  in  the 
dawn  of  the  times  of  the  House  of  Israel?  This  does  not  imply 
that  when  the  time  of  the  Gentiles  is  fulfilled  that  the  gospel  will 
not  continue  with  the  Gentiles  to  provide  that  the  blood  of  Israel, 
still  with  them,  shall  be  searched  out,  but  a  new  day  will  dawn — 
the  day  of  Israel. 

Other  signs  that  indicate  that  this  day  is  at  hand  may  be  found 


Indians  of  South  America.     Shawls,   Skirts  and  Other  Clothing 
Made  by  the  Indians  Themselves 

in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  I  Nephi  14,  the  whole  chapter,  wherein  the 
Lord  describes  to  Nephi  the  events  of  the  latter  days,  in  the  conflict 
that  shall  be  between  the  great  and  abominable  church  and  the 
Church  of  Christ — this  Church.  Also  the  war  that  should  be  poured 
out  upon  all  nations,  and  that  this  would  be  a  sign  that  the  anger 
of  the  Lord  is  kindled  against  the  mother  of  abominations,  and 
when  we  saw  these  signs  we  would  know  that  the  day  of  Israel 
was  at  hand.     Reading  the  17th  verse  we  find: 

"When  the  day  cometh  that  the  wrath  of  God  is  poured  out 
upon  the  mother  of  harlots,  which  is  the  great  abominable  church 


OUR  DUTY  AS  CUSTODIANS  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON        107 

of  all  the  earth,  whose  foundation  is  the  devil,  then,  at  that  day, 
the  work  of  the  Father  shall  commence,  in  preparing  the  way  for 
the  fulfilling  of  his  covenants,  which  he  hath  made  to  his  people 
who  are  of  the  house  of  Israel." 

Another  important  event  that  signifies  the  closing  of  the  Gentile 
period,  and  the  beginning  of  the  day  of  Israel,  is  found  in  those 
marvelous  circumstances  that  have  occurred  in  the  land  of  Palestine. 
The  Lord  himself  predicted,  Luke  21:24,  that  "Jerusalem  shall  be 
trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be 
fulfilled." 

Now  the  fact  that  the  land  of  Palestine  is  no  longer  trodden 
down  of  the  Gentiles,  but  has  been  freed  from  the  hands  of  the 
oppressor,  and  that  the  day  of  its  deliverance  has  come,  is  a  sign 
that  the  prophecy  is  being  fulfilled. 

The  Lord  himself  says  that  the  first  should  be  last,  and  the 
last  should  be  first.  In  further  explanation  of  that  statement  he 
declares  that  he  came  to  the  Jews,  first,  in  the  meridian  of  time; 
and,  afterwards,  the  gospel  went  from  them  unto  the  Gentiles,  but 
in  the  last  days  it  would  go  to  the  Gentiles  first.  What  for?  To 
find  the  children  of  Ephraim  sifted  and  scattered  among  the  Gentile 
nations.  And  after  the  work  was  accomplished,  then  the  gospel 
would  go  to  the  Jews  and  to  the  rest  of  the  House  of  Israel. 

Teaching  the  gospel  to  Israel  is  our  duty  and  responsibility. 
The  day  is  approaching  when  we  are  to  discharge  it,  hence  the  need 
of  every  young  man  and  young  woman  in  the  Church  being  familiar 
with  these  great  promises  and  realizing  that  the  responsibility  of 
being  the  saviors  of  the  House  of  Israel  rests  upon  us.  Like  Joseph 
of  old,  we  are  to  come  out  of  our  isolation  to  be  the  saviors  of  that 
House  of  Israel — not  to  feed  them  with  the  physical  bread,  as  he 
did,  but  succor  them  with  the  bread  of  life.  Greater  things  than 
have  ever  heretofore  been  accomplished,  more  wonderful  events 
than  have  ever,  up  to  this  day,  transpired,  are  before  this  Church. 
As  the  day  approaches  when  those  events  will  be  consummated,  let 
us  be  prepared. 

So  that,  in  knowing  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  true,  my 
anxiety  is  that  the  young  people  of  the  Church  will  also  come  to 
know  what  their  responsibility  is,  and  prepare  themselves  and  be 
ready  for  the  time  when  the  Lord  shall  bring  to  pass  the  redemption 
of  the  House  of  Israel. 

While  in  the  midst  of  millions  of  the  descendants  of  Father 
Lehi,  in  South  America,  witnessing  their  bondage  and  the  ignorance 
and  darkness  that  has  been  over  them,  for  lo,  these  many  centuries, 
my  heart  was  stirred!     I  felt  like  Moses  in  Egypt;  I  wanted  to  lead 


108  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

them  out  of  bondage.  I  realize,  however,  that  their  deliverance  can 
only  come  by  and  through  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but 
I  am  firmly  convinced  that  the  day  approaches  when  their  hearts 
will  be  touched  and  the  power  of  the  Almighty  will  work  upon 
them,  and  they  shall  be  brought  to  the  light  and  knowledge  of  the 
truth. 

May  the  Lord  prepare  the  young  men  and  women  of  this 
Church  to  discharge  this  holy  obligation,  and  find  them  willing 
servants  in  his  cause,  that  redemption  may  come  to  the  whole  of 
Israel.    May  he  speed  that  day! 


On  "Keeping"  Christmas 

WHILE  thinking  of  the  many  different  manners,  in  the  many 
different  lands,   of  observing  Christmas   day,    I   came   to 
the  conclusion  that  there  is  something  better  than  the  mere 
observance  of  Christmas  day — and  that  is   "keeping"   Christmas. 

To  keep  the  day  in  the  true  spirit  of  the  One  whose  birthday 
it  is,  we  must  be  willing — like  him — to  forget  what  we  have  done 
for  others,  and  let  our  thoughts  dwell  on  what  others  have  done 
for  us. 

Are  we  willing  to  forethink  the  needs  of  the  little  ones  who 
are  coming  into  the  world  every  day  in  the  year?  To  remember 
the  spent  and  lonely  hearts  of  those  who  have  seen  many  Christmas 
days?  To  stop  wondering  how  true  our  friends  may  be  to  us,  and 
be  a  more  true  friend  to  them?  To  endeavor  to  understand  and 
appreciate  the  everyday  folk  about  us?  To  burn  up  our  ugly 
hates  and  petty  jealousies  in  the  Yule  fire,  and  to  let  its  glow  pene- 
trate to  every  recess  of  our  hearts,  that  others  may  see  and  be 
warmed?  Are  we  willing  to  do  this  for  a-day — Christmas  day? 
If  so,  then  we  are  "keeping"  Christmas. 

And  in  addition,  are  we  willing  to  radiate  the  belief  that  Love 
is  the  greatest  thing  in  the  world — greater  than  evil — so  great 
that  even  the  grave  cannot  smother  it — and  that  he  who  was  born 
on  Christmas  day,  kindled  the  fire  of  eternal  Love,  on  earth,  that 
we  might  keep  it  brightly  burning?  Then  we  are  really  "keeping" 
Christmas. 

And  if  we  can  keep  one  day — Christmas  day — why  not  every 
day,  and  for  always? 

A.  Henderson 


Tobacco  and  Humanity 

By  L.  Weston  Oaks,  M.  D. 


II. 


Effect  Upon  the  Nervous  System. 

The  writer  was  recently  consulted  by  a 
man  of  thirty-five  years,  who  came  be- 
cause of  loss-  of  hearing  and  severe  attacks 
of  dizziness.  He  also  complained  of  con- 
stant head  noises  and  extreme  nervousness. 
His  lack  of  nervous  control  showed  itself 
in  trembling  of  hands,  fluttering  of  eye- 
lids, restlessness  and  unreasoning  irritability 
of  temper.  Careful  examination  of  this 
patient,  from  the  standpoint  of  his  loss  of 
hearing  and  vertigo,  elicited  such  bizarre 
responses  in  many  instances,  that  no  def- 
inite conclusion  as  to  the  site  of  the  trouble 
and  its  cause  could  be  arrived  at.  Some 
of  the  features  of  the  situation  suggested 
that  there  might  be  a  drug  factor  in  his 
case;  and  he  was  again  questioned  closely 
as  to  his  habits  of  life.  This  time  the 
fact  was  brought  out  that  he  smoked  a 
great  many  cigarettes  every  day;  and  that 
he  had  already  suspected  this  was  responsi- 
ble for  his  illness.  When  asked  why  he 
did  not  stop  them,  he  replied,  with  deepest 
anguish  in  his  tone: 

"My  God,  I  can't  quit.  I've  tried  and 
tried;  but  it's  no  use.  I'd  die  without 
them." 

Here  was  a  young  man,  endowed  at 
the  beginning  with  a  strong  body,  a  keen 
mind,  a  steady  hand  for  his  work,  and  a 
cheery,  attractive  personality.  In  the  space 
of  only  a  few  years,  the  tobacco  habit  had 
changed  him  to  one  physically  infirm,  un- 
able (as  he  said)  to  render  dependable 
calculations  in  his  work,  unsteady  of  hand, 
restless  at  night  and  unreasoningly  irascible. 
Can  one  imagine  a  more  systematic  or 
sardonic  wrecking  of  life,  without  insanity 
or  physical  destruction? 

The  plight  of  this  not  uncommon  case 
is  related  a9  a  concrete  illustration  of  two 
things  that  tobaccoism  does  to  the  human 
nervous  system.  First,  its  ungovernable 
power  to  create  a  desire  for  itself,  and  to 
thereby  perpetuate  a  habit.  Second,  its  in- 
evitable destruction  of  those  vital  nervous 


energies    so    necessary    to    the    living    of    a 
normal,  sane  life. 

From  a  habit  standpoint,  the  curious 
and  in  a  sense  appalling  thing  about  the 
tobacco  habit  is  the  fact  that  no  one  has 
ever  taken  its  use  up,  in  the  first  place, 
because  of  a  craving  for  it.  In  the  words 
of  Dr.  A.  Abrahams  of  London: 

"Unlike  other  drugs,  the  ingestion  of  which 
induces  a  drug  habit,  tobacco  is  not  taken  in 
the  first  instance  to  satisfy  a  natural  or  an 
unnatural  craving.  On  the  contrary,  in  all 
cases  a  deliberate  attempt  is  made  to  acquire  the 
habit,  in  nearly  all  cases  the  attempt  is  followed 
by  the  most  unpleasant  consequences;  and 
in  not  a  few  cases  tolerance  is  established  only 
after  a  persistent  effort  which  may  last  for 
months." 

It  would  almost  seem  as  if  Nature 
had  set  her  heart  against  this  poison  being 
introduced  into  the  body,  and  used  every 
means  of  repulsing  it.  Then,  when  the 
perverse  human  forces  it  upon  her,  she  is 
compelled  to  organize  factors  to  resist  its 
effects.  These  forces,  once  brought  to- 
gether, constitute  what  we  recognize  as 
the  tolerance  of  a  man's  system  to  the  drug. 
Once  established  for  a  narcotic  substance, 
this  power  to  combat  it  must  be  used  if  the 
individual  is  to  be  comfortable.  If  the 
poison  which  created  the  tolerance  is  not 
supplied,  to  keep  it  subdued  through  ac- 
tivity, it  then  proceeds  to  act  as  a 
burning  brand  applied  to  the  nervous 
system;  and  either  the  drug  must  be  ob- 
tained or  the  toleration  overcome  before 
any  comfort  can  be  had. 

Actually,  application  of  a  narcotic 
poison  to  delicate  sensitive  nerve  cell 
protoplasm  sets  up  an  irritability,  which 
must  be  constantly  benumbed  by  the  poi- 
son that  induced  it.  As  time  goes  on  and 
poisoning  proceeds,  this1  unnatural  fret- 
fulness  grows,  until,  if  unappeased  by  its 
drug,  it  will  possess  and  occupy  the  in- 
dividual's every  thought.  It  becomes  in 
reality  an  unforgetable  pain  of  such  sever- 
ity as  to  destroy  mental  balance  and  bring 


110 


IMPROMEVENT    ERA 


on  a  sort  of  insanity  that  makes  of  an 
otherwise  calm  and  agreeable  person  an 
irascible,  ill-tempered  one,  ready  to  fly 
at  the  throat  of  his  best  friend.  Anyone 
who  has  been  for  a  few  days  the  unwilling 
camp  companion  of  a  tobacco  user  minus 
his  tobacco,  will  readily  testify  to  the  in- 
tense discomfort  inflicted  upon  all  who 
must  come  into  contact  with  such  a  being. 
Then  to  witness  the  trembling  eagerness 
with  which  he  lights  his  first  smoke  again, 
and  see  the  utter  calm  settle  over  his  en- 
raged nerves  gives  mute  evidence  of  his 
slavery  to  this  curious  mania. 

Except  in  degree  of  effect  and  in  man- 
ner of  acquisition,  nicotine  and  morphine 
habitisms  are  identical  in  their  natures. 
The  opium  user  reaches  more  rapidly  a 
lower  state  of  degradation  and  degenera- 
tion than  tobacco  could  ever  lead  the 
average  man  to;  but  there  is  a  certainty 
of  parallelism  between  the  two  which  can- 
not be  denied.  In  the  matter  of  drug 
action  upon  human  beings,  though,  there 
is  such  great  difference  in  degree  of 
power  over  separate  individuals  that  any 
dogmatic  universal  statement  upon  the 
subject  is  but  evidence  of  lack  of  knowl- 
edge. With  some,  inveterate  use  of 
tobacco  leads  to  greater  nervous  and  mental 
disintegration  than  even  opium  could  in- 
duce in  others  whose  innate  vitality  has  not 
been  dissipated  by  smoking  generations  of 
forbears.  Particularly  is  it  bad  for  grow- 
ing boys.  A  New  York  City  magistrate, 
who  has  been  quoted  by  various  writers, 
says  emphatically: 

'-Ninety-nine  out  of  a  hundred  boys  be- 
tween the  ages  of  ten  and  seventeen  years,  who 
come  before  me  charged  with  crime,  have  their 
fingers  disfigured  by  yellow  cigarette  stains." 

So  keenly  do  students  of  the  matter 
sense  this  danger  to  the  young  that  one 
finds  in  the  literature  almost  numberless 
unreserved  declarations  against  it.  Dr.  T. 
H.  Barnes,  in  his  paper  already  quoted 
from,  says  concerning  the  use  of  tobacco 
by  boys: 

"Habits  which  have  a  depressing  influence 
should  be  shunned  by  the  growing  lad.  Bad 
habits  make  their  lasting  impression  at  this  age 
and  it  often  takes  years  to  get  rid  of  the 
effects  of  wrongdoings  during  the  period  when 
Nature    makes   her   greatest   demand    upon    the 


physical  side.  If  a  boy  would  realize  that  he 
has  no  right  to  smoke  or  use  tobacco  before 
he  is  twenty,  especially  cigarettes,  the  problem 
would  be  easily  solved.  Unfortunately  the 
example  of  elders  is  generally  followed  and 
boys  think  they  will  become  men  faster  if 
they  rise  to  that  estate  through  the  medium  of 
smoke  wreathes." 

Tobacco's  injury  to  the  growing  boy 
is  wrought  upon  his  nervous  system.  As 
in  all  other  things  he  does  of  his  own  in- 
clination, he  is  bound  to  be  immoderate 
in  his  smoking;  and  the  result  is  soon 
apparent  in  a  loss  of  ambition  to  do  things, 
a  lessening  of  desire  to  attend  school,  an 
increasing  disregard  for  telling  the  truth 
and  a  decided  loss  of  ability  in  mental 
tasks.  Blurring  of  his  sense  of  moral 
responsibility  is  rapid;  and,  from  a  lad 
entirely  trustworthy  in  all  things,  he  may 
become  utterly  undependable,  egotistic, 
often  discourteous  and  increasingly  selfish. 

When  a  fond  father  considers  the  pos- 
sibility of  such  a  change  in  his  own  bright- 
eyed  boy,  he  dimly  senses  the  grave 
responsibility  that  rests  upon  us  as  elders 
to  these  growing  sons  whose  lives  during 
their  tender  years  determine  whether  they 
shall  be  living  dynamos  or  lagging  derelicts. 
It  is  an  unassailable  fact  that  no  boy  would 
ever  subject  himself  to  the  illness  and  dis- 
comfort incident  to  acquiring  tobacco 
tolerance,  were  it  not  for  the  examples  we 
set  him.  There  is  a  dramatic  appeal  in 
watching  one,  superior  in  years  and  ap- 
parent wisdom,  calmly  performing  the 
smoker's  ritual,  which  a  boy's  natural 
curiosity  cannot  resist  desiring  to  try.  The 
very  suffering  occasioned  by  his  first  at- 
tempts is  a  challenge  to  his  manly  courage. 
Continued  effort  gains  the  reward  of  tol- 
eration by  his  outraged  nervous  system: 
but  it  also  brings  that  insidious  growth 
of  desire  for  the  poison  which  may  wreck 
his  bright  prospects  and  make  of  him  a 
very  ordinary  animal. 

We  are  prone  to  speak  of  the  China- 
man and  his  opium  habit  with  scorn  and 
contempt;  but  he  is  our  superior  in  that 
he  smokes  his  "pill"  in  private  where  he 
cannot  be  seen  and  aped  by  his  son  and 
heir. 

According  to  Drs.  E.  H.  Cleveland 
and    D.    T.    Crowthers,    in    the    Medical 


TOBACCO  AND  HUMANITY 


1  1 


Times  of  New  York,  boys  who  smoke  are 
frequently  subject  to  spasmodic  twitchings 
of  the  face,  and  occasionally  to  paralysis 
or  decided  weakening  of  some  of  the 
muscles  of  the  face,  lips  and  eyes.  These 
boys  are  usually  pale;  and  blood  tests 
show  that  they  suffer  more  or  less  from 
anemia.1 

Dr.  Bruce  Fink,  in  School  and  Society, 
tells  us  that  research  studies  in  some  of 
the  colleges  have  furnished  evidence  that 
smoking  a  cigar  or  two  will  measurably 
reduce  the  accuracy  of  a  smoker's  move- 
ments. They  have  noted  a  loss  in  sure- 
ness  in  pitching  a  baseball,  in  lunging  at 
a  target  and  in  rifle  shooting.  Dr.  M.  V. 
O'Shea,  in  his  work  reported  in  his  book 
Tobacco  and  Mental  Efficiency,  showed 
rather  conclusively  that  the  ordinary 
smoker  loses  from  four  to  forty  per  cent 
in  muscle  steadiness.  This  determination 
was  made  by  taking  the  steadiness  of 
muscles — and  nerves,  indirectly — then 
having  the  individual  smoke  a  given 
amount,  after  which  the  measurements 
were  repeated.  Dr.  P.  K.  Holmes,  in 
The  American  Journal  of  Public  Health, 
states  that  muscular  accuracy  is  reduced, 
because  of  unsteadiness  of  the  body 
muscles,  and  that  this  has  been  demon- 
strated in  rifle  target  practice  in  the  army. 

So  many  examples  of  tobacco's  effect 
upon  physical  endurance  are  to  be  observed 
in  our  daily  lives,  that  it  seems  scarcely 
necessary  to  mention  this  phase  of  the 
question.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  in 
physiology  that  fatigue  of  the  muscles,  as 
we  experience  it,  is  in  reality  tiring  of  the 
nerves  which  supply  stimulation  to  them. 
Using  a  muscle-nerve  preparation  in  the 
laboratory,  it  can  readily  be  shown  that  the 
muscle  retains  considerable  power  of 
response  to  direct  electric  stimulation  after 
the  nerve  is  too  tired  to  longer  carry 
stimulus  to  it.  Thus  Dr.  Frederick  J. 
Pack's  interesting  observation,  detailed  in 
his  book,  Tobacco  and  Human  Efficiency, 
regarding  the  smoker's  lack  of  stamina  in 
long  hikes  really  denotes  a  decided  lower- 
ing of  vital  energy  on  the  part  of  the 
nervous  system.  Athletic  coaches  the  world 


over  recognize  the  necessity  of  separating 
their  men  from  cigarettes,  during  training 
and  competition,  if  they  are  to  succeed; 
and  they  are  also  becoming  cognizant  that 
to  secure  men  whose  nervous  systems  have 
never  been  subjected  to  this  handicap  is 
even  more  desirable. 

Upon  Mental  Effort. 

Any  consideration  of  nicotine  and  the 
brain  is,  of  course,  inseparably  tied  up  with 
the  result  upon  human  mental  activity. 
No  phase  of  the  whole  question  has  been 
so  voluminously  discussed  and  so  heatedly 
argued  as  this.  People  who  use  the  drug 
are  nearly  all  positive  it  is  a  great  help 
to  them;  and  those  who  do  not  are  all  sure 
it  is  "bad  for  brain  work."  One  curious 
thing,  to  the  impartial  observer,  is  the  fact 
that  so  many  thinking  men  have  used  it, 
then  quit — often  because  of  poor  health — 
emphatically  decry  its  use.  Charles  Lamb 
is  a  good  example.  After  discovering  what 
he  thought  was  the  wonderful  soothing 
power  of  the  drug,  he  wrote: 

"The  Old  World  was  sure  forlorn. 
Wanting  thee." 

After  some  years  of  smoking,  he  was 
forced  to  give  it  up,  because  of  its  effect 
upon  his  health;  and  inscribed  the  follow- 
ing: 

"Farewell  to  tobacco  the 
Stinking'st  of  the  stinking  kind. 
Filth  of  the  mouth  and  fogs  of  the  mind. 
Africa  that  brags  of  her  foison. 
Breeds  no  such  prodigious  poison, 
Henbane,   nightshade, 
Hemlock,   aconite — nay 

All  four  cannot  excel  tobacco  in  a  pernicious 
way." 

It  is  said  that  a  Persian  Ambassador 
once  presented  Napoleon  with  a  pipe  of 
oriental  design.  Wishing  to  try  its  use- 
fulness, the  Emperor  filled  it  with  tobacco 
and  "lighted  up."  As  soon  as  the  smoke 
came  into  contact  with  his  larynx,  he  dis- 
gustedly handed  the  pipe  to  a  servant  with: 
"Take  it  away — my  stomach  turns.  It  is 
only  fit  for  the  sluggard  and  the  sloven." 

Commander  Peary,  Arctic  explorer,  was 
once  asked  if  smokers  were  desirable  as 
members    of    his    polar    expeditions.       His 


'Anemia   means  poor  blood,   either  in    red   blood   cells,   hemoglobin   or   in   both. 


112 


IMPROMEVENT    ERA 


reply  is  characteristic  of  him:  "I'd  as  soon 
think,  of  taking  a  man  who  had  to  have  a 
pie." 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes — a  physician  as 
well  as  a  writer — says  in  The  Autocrat  of 
the  Breakfast  Table: 

"I  do  not  advise  you,  young  man,  to  con- 
secrate the  flower  of  your  life  to  painting  the 
bowl  of  a  pipe,  for,  let  me  assure  you,  the 
stain  of  a  reverie-breeding  narcotic  may  strike 
deeper  than  you  think.  I  have  seen  the  green 
leaf  of  early  promise  grow  brown  before  its 
time  under  such  nicotian  regimen,  and  thought 
the  umbered  meerschaum  was  dearly  bought  at 
the  cost  of  a  brain  enfeebled  and  a  will  en- 
slaved." 

Elbert  Hubbard,  whose  influence  upon 
thinking  Americans  still  spreads  like  waves 
set  up  from  a  pebble  cast  into  the  shel- 
tered pool,  frequently  advised  employers  to 
shun  the  cigarette  smoker.  Most  of  us 
know  to  what  a  marked  extent  some  few 
industrial  giants,  such  as  Edison  and  Ford 
are  aligned  with  this  view. 

Count  Leo  Tolstoi  unfailingly  con- 
demned tobacco,  because  he  believed  it 
had  a  degenerating  effect  upon  the  human 
mind. 

In  Dr.  M.  V.  O'Shea's  book,  already 
alluded  to,  occurs  a  quotation  from 
Hudson  Maxim,  noted  inventor,  who  says: 

"The  wreath  of  cigarette  smoke  which  curls 
about  the  head  of  the  growing  lad  holds  his 
brain  in  an  iron  grip  which  prevents  it  from 
growing  and  his  mind  from  developing  just  as 
surely  as  the  iron  shoe  does  the  foot  of  the 
Chinese  girl.  *  *  *  If  all  boys  could 
be  made  to  know  that  with  every  breath  of 
cigarette  smoke  they  inhale  inbecility  and  ex- 
hale manhood,  that  they  are  tapping  their 
arteries  as  surely  and  letting  their  life's  blood 
out  as  truly  as  though  their  veins  and  arteries 
were  severed,  and  the  cigarette  is  a  maker  of 
invalids,  criminals  and  fools — not  men — it 
ought  to  deter  them  some.  The  yellow  finger 
stain  is  an  emblem  of  deeper  degradation  and 
enslavement  than  the  ball  and  chain." 

Certainly  these  are  only  a  few  words 
from  men  on  one  side;  and  many  noted 
persons  who  are  addicted  to  tobacco  write 
just  as  emphatically  of  its  desirability,  so 
far  as  they  are  personally  concerned.  Per- 
haps part  of  this  is  due,  as  one  author  has 
expressed  it,  to  the  fact  that  the  smoker's 
danger  begins  in  his  failure  to  get  a  true 
appreciation   of   his   own   clinical   picture. 


More  of  this  difference  of  opinion,  how- 
ever, arises  as  a  result  of  the  vast  variation 
in  susceptibility  of  different  individuals  to 
the  drug.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  among 
medical  men  that  no  two  living  people 
will  react  in  exactly  the  same  degree  to  a 
given  dose  of  any  active  drug.  An  amount 
which  will  produce  profound  alteration  in 
one's  physiological  processes,  may  not  show 
the  slightest  effect  upon  another,  or  it  may 
evince  any  degree  of  response  between  the 
two  extremes.  So  it  is  with  tobacco. 
There  are  actual  records  of  its  being  re- 
sponsible for  attacks  of  insanity,  which 
never  occurred  after  stopping  its  use;  and 
there  are  examples  of  longevity  in  spite 
of  inveterate  smoking.  Tobacco  has  been 
called  "a  comfort  to  kings  as  well  as  a 
solace  to  beggars,"  which  sounds  nice,  but 
is  not  of  such  great  importance,  since  so 
decidedly  few  of  us  could  or  would  be 
kings,  and  certainly  none  of  us  elect  to  be 
beggars.  In  other  words,  the  important 
thing  is  to  know  what  it  does  to  the  great 
mass  of  humanity;  and  we  can  never 
ascertain  that  by  focusing  upon  either  or 
both  extremes. 

Scientific  principles  are  usually  gotten 
at  by  direct  experiment.  In  its  ordinary 
sense,  this  would  mean  studying  the  effect 
of  tobacco  upon  the  mental  activity  of  one 
who  had  never  used  it.  That  kind  of 
work,  however,  is  not  to  be  thought  of  in 
this  particular  connection;  and  such  meas- 
urements or  observations  as  have  been 
carried  out  have  necessarily  been  made 
upon  individuals  who  were  already  ad- 
dicted to  the  tobacco  habit.  America's 
youth,  though,  represents  the  race 
vulnerable  point  attacked  by  those  whose 
greed  can  only  be  satiated  through  seeing 
the  tobacco  drug  habit  rapidly  spread  to  all 
humanity;  and  in  consequence  of  this,  cer- 
tain data  accumulate  in  high  schools  and 
colleges  the  country  over  pertaining  to  the 
mental  status  of  smokers  and  non-users. 

Dr.  M.  V.  O'Shea  and  his  co-workers 
conducted  an  inquiry  among  one  thousand 
high  schools  of  the  Middle  West,  concern- 
ing the  effect  of  tobacco  upon  high  school 
work.  Of  the  many  reports  received,  they 
selected  two  hundred  six  as  being  unbiased 
and    free    from    prejudice.       Among    this 


TOBACCO  AND  HUMANITY 


113 


group  there  were  only  three  reporting  as 
being  without  any  tobacco  users.  The 
rest  admitted  tobaccoism  in  from  two  to 
ninety-five  per  cent,  of  their  boys.  Of  the 
great  number  of  high  school  boys  repre- 
sented only  15.9%  were  above  the  median 
in  school  work,  while  60.5%  were  below 
it.  Many  hundred  of  these  boys  actually 
contracted  the  habit  while  attending  high 
school;  and  it  was  found  that  where  this 
was  the  case,  68%  of  those  doing  so  had 
shown  a  decline  in  their  scholarship,  with 
61.9%  losing  in  deportment.  These 
figures  are  significant,  because  they  cover 
such  a  large  group;  and  justify  some  gen- 
eralization as  to  the  effects  of  this  drug 
upon  mental  effort  in  young  adult  and 
adolescent  boys.  The  decline  in  scholar- 
ship among  this  group  varied  from  ten 
per  cent  to  utter  failure.  Dr.  O'Shea 
requested  the  principals  of  these  schools 
to  furnish  some  brief  reports  upon  the 
work  and  behavior  of  their  boys,  before 
and  after  beginning  the  use  of  tobacco. 
Because  of  what  they  represent  in  loss  of 
potential  manhood,  these  reports  bear  a 
pitiful  significance;  and  Dr.  O'Shea  says 
of  them: 

"One  cannot  go  over  the  reports  from  these 
two  hundred  six  schools  without  forming  the 
conviction  that  tobacco  is  either  directly  or 
indirectly  playing  a  tragic  role  in  the  high 
school.  There  is  no  evidence  of  bias  or  preju- 
dice in  the  returns  from  most  of  these  schools; 
at  any  rate  the  principals  and  faculties  were 
aware  of  the  danger  that  pre-conceived  notions 
might  distort  their  views,  so  that  they  were 
on  their  guard.  And  if  they  erred  at  all  it 
was  probably  in  the  way  of  leniency  in  esti- 
mating the  intellectual  status  of  smokers  in 
their  schools.  Some  at  least  of  the  principals 
who  made  returns  are  personally  friendly  to- 
ward tobacco,  so  far  ?s  its  use  by  adults  is  con- 
cerned. *  *  *  In  personal  interviews 
they  informed  the  writer  that  they  enjoyed  a 
cigar  and  believed  that  a  moderate  use  of  to- 
bacco was  not  harmful  to  them  mentally  or 
physically.  But  they  could  not  overlook  the 
fact  that  the  records  of  the  smokers  in  their 
schools  were  conclusive  in  showing  that  the 
use  of  tobacco  by  their  pupils  is  detrimental 
to  intellectual  effort,  and  in  extreme  cases  it 
paralyzes  mental  activity." 

Among  nine  hundred  fifty  smokers  and 
non-smokers  in  this  school.  Superintendent 
H.  L.  Smith  of  Bloomington,  Indiana, 
studied  this  question  and  offered  the  fol- 
lowing interpretations: 


"1.  Smokers  are  distinctly  older  than  non- 
smokers,  having  failed  in  their  work  much 
more  frequently. 

"2.  Smokers  are  doing  distinctly  poorer 
work  than  non-smokers. 

"3.  Smokers  are  disciplined  much  more  fre- 
quently and  for  more  serious  offenses  than 
non-smokers  are." 

Superintendent  Smith  also  found  that 
habitual  smokers  failed  in  twenty-nine  per 
cent  of  their  school   work. 

There  seems  no  question  that  smoking 
is  steadily  increasing  among  youths  of  high 
school  age,  the  country  over.  Some  hor- 
rified consternation  has  been  generated 
among  parents,  and  even  medical  men, 
during  the  last  two  or  three  years,  by  the 
so-called  "modern"  ideas  prevailing  among 
high  school  boys  and  girls  with  regard 
to  immoral  practices  of  a  more  serious 
nature.  It  is  not  difficult  to  demonstrate 
that,  in  the  young,  smoking  benumbs  and 
destroys  moral  responsibility  and  scruples 
of  conscience.  No  great  stretch  of  imagi- 
nation is  therefore  necessary  to  discern  a 
serious  connection  between  the  two  facts, 
a9  applied  to  the  present  seeming  moral 
tendencies  of  our  modern  youth.  If  ever 
the  clarion  call  to  take  heed  lest  the  race 
be  destroyed  rang  forth  to  an  intelligent 
people,  it  should  be  sounding  in  the  ears 
of  America   today! 

Going  into  the  college,  we  find  there 
an  extension  of  the  high  school  situation, 
though  many  of  the  boys  who  take  up 
cigarettes  during  high  school  days  never 
reach  college.  A  goodly  number  scarcely 
finish  the  former  division;  and  scores  of 
others  naturally  succumb  to  the  mental  de- 
pression resulting  from  their  habitual 
narcosis. 

Writing  in  the  Kentucky  Medical 
Journal,  Dr.  E.  S.  Frey  of  Louisville, 
mentions  some  careful  observations  made 
by  Dr.  Seaver,  director  of  the  Physical 
Laboratory  at  Yale   University   and  says: 

"Out  of  the  highest  scholarship  men  at 
Yale  only  five  per  cent  use  tobacco.  Of  all 
the  men  who  do  not  get  appointments,  ninety 
per  cent  use  tobacco." 

In  Mac  Levy's  book  The  Tobacco 
Habit,  are  given  some  interesting  statistics, 
of  which   the   following  are  typical: 


114 


IMPROMEVENT   ERA 


Dr.  George  Lewis  says  that  in  fifty  years, 
no  tobacco  user  in  Harvard  has  graduated  at 
the  head  of  his  class,  though  five  out  of  six 
graduates  were  users. 

A  Clark  College  professor  says,  out  of  two 
hundred  one,  ninety-three  were  users,  one 
hundred  eight  were  not.  Of  the  non-smokers 
68%  won  honors,  while  of  the  smokers  only 
18%   won  honors. 

Six  colleges  reported  upon  their  various 
football  teams.  In  the  total  group,  four  hun- 
dred thirteen  non-smokers  made  the  teams  and 
only  one  hundred  ninety-two  smokers.  Scho- 
lastically,  non-users  averaged  79.8%  and  the 
users  63.1%. 

Much  discussion  has  been  forthcoming 
as  to  whether  tobacco  stimulates  the 
smoker's  mental  powers.  Certainly  there 
is  no  one  who  cares  to  appear  ridiculous 
by  maintaining  that  it  aids  the  non- 
smoker  to  compose  himself;  but  there  are 
many  addicts  who  are  sure  smoking  helps 
them  in  their  mental  labors.  Formerly 
there  was  no  datum  that  seemed  to  refute 
this  idea;  and  it  was  accepted,  so  far  as 
the  smoker  was  concerned.  More  recently, 
however,  some  interesting  observations 
have  thrown  new  light  upon  this  phase, 
too.  Dr.  A.  Abrahams,  in  the  Saint 
Bartholomew  Hospital  Journal,  London, 
as  far  back  a9  1913  offered  the  following: 

It  is  popularly  thought  that  nicotine  acts 
as  a  direct  brain  stimulant,  much  in  the  same 
way  as  coffee  or  tea;  but  a  simpler  explana- 
tion is  offered  by  Sir  Lauder  Brunton.  that 
the  effect  is  simply  that  of  stimulating  the 
branches  of  the  trigeminal  nerve,2  which  in 
some  way  appears  to  increase  the  blood  supply 
of  the  brain — an  effect  which  can  be  pro- 
duced by  eating  sweets  and  in  other  ways." 

This  statement  is  of  considerable  in- 
terest in  that  it  discards  the  generally 
accepted  notion  that  nicotine  acts  as  a 
brain  stimulant — which  is  hard  to  under- 
stand, when  we  know  its  total  effect  upon 
the  nervous  system  is  one  of  narcosis 
or  depression.  Neither  is  the  explana- 
tion an  idle  one,  as  Sir  Lauder  Brunton 
is  a  British  physician  of  some  standing.3 


The  proposition  is  also  one  that  may 
be  demonstrated  with  little  difficulty;  and 
if  we  look  about  us  we  may  find  its  truth 
verified  among  our  own  acquaintances. 
The  writer  has  a  close  friend,  a  professional 
man,  who  keeps  at  hand  a  supply  of  candy, 
and  uses  it  at  intervals  while  engaged  upon 
arduous  or  trying  mental  tasks.  It  seems 
to  aid  him  in  speeding  up  his  efforts,  just 
as  the  smoker  thinks  his  cigar  or  cigarette 
does. 

Later  work  of  an  experimental  nature 
has  been  carried  out  by  Dr.  M.  V.  O'Shea 
and  his  co-workers,  upon  this  very  ques- 
tion, and  detailed  in  his  book  already 
mentioned.  They  devised  an  apparatus 
which  made  it  possible,  by  means  of  an 
electric  coil,  to  heat  the  bowl  of  a  pipe 
so  that  the  blindfolded  smoker  had  all  the 
sensation  of  smoking,  except  the  actual 
consumption  of  tobacco.  The  man  giving 
the  test  smoked  enough  to  furnish  the 
tobacco  smell;  and  subjects  of  the  experi- 
ment were  allowed  to  smoke  during  some 
periods  and  not  during  others.  Drawing 
into  the  mouth  of  this  heated  air,  plus 
the  smell  of  some  tobacco  smoke  in  the 
room,  aroused  the  same  sensations  as  did 
actual  smoking,  since  they  were  unable  at 
any  sitting  to  see  the  smoke  they  supposed 
they  were  producing.  These  men,  all 
habitual  users,  were  not  aware  that  a  con- 
trol smoke  was  being  used  upon  them; 
and  none  was  able  to  detect  anything  lack- 
ing at  any  period  of  the  tests.  Unani- 
mously, they  declared  their  belief  that  they 
had  actually  smoked  the  same  amount  of 
tobacco  at  each  sitting.  For  our  purpose 
here,  the  most  significant  thing  about  it 
all  lies  in  the  fact  that  each  of  these 
smokers  received  his  usual  feeling  of  Mental 
buoyancy  composure  or  stimulation,  as  the 
case  may  be,  just  as  surely  from  puffing 
the  heated  air  as  from  his  tobacco  smoke! 
In  addition,  all  of  Dr.  O'Shea's  subjects 
were  college  men,  no  doubt  possessing  the 
usual  collegiate  assurance  and  self-analysis. 


The  fifth  cranial  nerve  which  is  the  great  nerve  of  sensation  of  ears,  eyes,  nose  and 
mouth,  as  well  as  to  the  skin  of  the  face.  It  is  so  tied  up,  through  many  complex  associations, 
with  the  rest  of  the  nerves  in  the  head,  as  well  as  with  the  brain,  that  the  indirect  effects  of 
its  stimulation  are  too  far-reaching  to  be  as  yet  completely  understood. 

3In  England,  the  term  "Doctor'1  is  not  used  in  the  American  sense,  and  is  frequently  not 
even  employed  in  speaking  or  writing  of  prominent   medical  men. 


TOBACCO  AND  HUMANITY 


115 


In  the  face  of  these  experimental  data, 
even  though  secured  from  a  small  num- 
ber of  individuals,  one  can  scarcely  be 
blamed  for  a  strengthened  doubt  of  to- 
bacco's vaunted  "stimulating"  effect  upon 
mental  effort. 

Effects  Upon  Women  and  Young  Girls. 

In  the  words  of  a  famous  surgeon, 
"Woman  is  a  saparate  being  from  man; 
and  you  cannot  judge  her  by  her  grosser 
mate."  This1  is  another  way  of  saying  that 
the  physical,  mental  and  spiritual  organ- 
ization of  woman  is,  in  the  main,  far  more 
delicate  and  sensitive  than  that  of  man. 
Especially  is  this  true  of  her  nervous 
system.  And  more  particularly  is  it  ap- 
parent in  the  functioning  of  the 
sympathetic  division  of  her  nervous 
system — that  part  which  governs  processes 
not  presided  over  by  the  will  or  conscious- 
ness. God  has  endowed  her  with  many 
attributes  not  understandable  by  man;  and 
has  given  her  a  more  finely  attuned  spirit, 
capable  of  sure  and  unwavering  intuition. 
He  has  imparted  to  her  soul  that  added 
divine  spark  which  lends  to  every  woman, 
no  matter  how  plain  of  feature  or  form, 
the  peculiar  charm  of  femininity.  For  many 
centuries,  in  the  highest  civilization,  she 
has  been  placed  upon  a  throne  and  en- 
shrined queen  over  all  that  was  worthy  in 
man's  heart.  The  good  woman's  look, 
thought  and  word  have  fired  man  to  aspire 
great  and  worthy  things.  Weak  or  mis- 
directed ones  have  tobogganed  individuals 
and  even  nations  into  sorrow  and  suffering. 

An  instrument,  such  as  a  galvanometer 
for  detecting  weak  electric  movements,  or 
a  balance  for  weighing  minute  particles  of 
matter,  must  necessarily  be  finely  con- 
structed; and  the  very  delicacy  of  its 
function  precludes  any  ruggedness  of 
structure.  So  is  it  with  woman's  nervous 
mechanism.  Its  very  sensitiveness  impels 
her  to  unreasoning  excess  in  her  activities 
and  enthusiasms.  If  she  be  unfavorable 
to  a  practice,  except  as  a  mother,  she  has 
no  understanding  of  the  motive  or  weak- 
ness that  could  lead  another  into  its  power. 
But  once  started  upon  it  herself,  she  recog- 
nizes no  limitation  in  its  pursuit.  The 
woman  who  takes  up  smoking  is  doubly 


affected  by  it,  first  because  of  the  sensitive- 
ness of  her  body  to  its  influence,  and 
second  by  her  lack  of  moderation. 

Aside  from  an  intensification  of  all 
the  results  produced  by  tobacco  upon  man, 
the  girl  or  woman  who  uses  it  becomes 
the  victim  of  certain  other  effects,  which 
are  more  important  to  her  than  she  knows. 
Dr.  Kellogg,  in  his  work  Tobaccoism, 
states: 

"The  increase  of  the  cigarette  habit  among 
young  women  bodes  ill  for  the  future  of  the 
race.  The  report  comes  from  Paris,  where 
smoking  has  been  indulged  in  by  women  longer 
and  to  a  greater  extent  than  in  other  civilized 
countries,  that  strong  evidence  has  appeared 
that  the  effect  of  cigarette  smoking  is  to  unsex 
young  women  by  producing  premature  degen- 
eration of  the  sex  glands.  One  evidence  of 
this  is  the  development  of  the  feminine  mus- 
tache, which  is  becoming  noticeably  more  fre- 
quent among  young  women  smokers  of  Paris." 

It  is  a  common  observation  that  women 
who  have  used  tobacco  for  long  show  a 
decided  coarsening  of  feature,  a  roughen- 
ing of  voice  and  marked  increase  of  hair 
upon  the  face.  As  the  years  advance,  such 
women  lose  some  fineness  of  soul  that 
entitled  them  to  serene  supremacy  in  their 
men's  hearts.  It  can  only  be  natural  that 
any  man  with  a  spark  of  the  Divine  yet 
left  in  him  should  abhor  the  destined  ef- 
fects of  tobacco  upon  sweetheart,  wife  or 
sister.  When  a  woman  resigns  herself  to 
the  tobacco  habit  she  forswears  her  birth- 
right of  feminine  beauty  of  soul  and  of 
feature.  When  to  be  called  beautiful  is 
the  major  delight  of  every  born  woman, 
could  anything  strike  more  surely  at  the 
desire  of  her  heart? 

Nor  is  this  loss  of  beauty  the  most  grave 
effect  of  tobacco  upon  the  female  organ- 
sm.     Note  what  Dr.  Lorand  has  to  say: 

"The  habit  of  smoking  acts  even  more  in- 
juriously upon  the  delicate  organisms  of  young 
girls  than  it  does  on  boys;  and  yet,  un- 
fortunately, one  may  now  observe  this  harmful 
habit  gaining  ground.  *  *  *  Smoking 
by  young  women  and  even  by  young  girls 
must  be  considered  from  a  far  different  stand- 
point than  smoking  by  men,  for  not  only  is 
the  female  organism  by  virtue  of  its  much 
more  frail  structure  and  its  more  delicate  tissues 
much  less  able  to  resist  the  poisonous  action  of 
tobacco  than  that  of  man;  and  thus,  like 
many  a  delicate  flower,  apt  to  fade  and  wither 


ism 


116 


IMPROMEVENT    ERA 


more  quickly  in  consequence,  but  the 
fecundity*  of  woman  is  greatly  impaired  by  it, 
as  tobacco  exerts  a  very  pernicious  influence 
on  the  various  ductless  glands,  including  the 
thyroid  and  sex  glands.  In  view  of  the  large 
number  of  men  lost  in  the  late  fearful  war, 
the  authorities  cannot  be  expected  to  look  on 
unmoved,  while  a  generation  of  sterile  women, 
rendered  incapable  of  fulfiling  their  sublime 
function  of  motherhood,  is  being  produced  on 
account  of  the  immoderate  smoking  of  foolish 
young  girls." 

Smoking  not  only  destroys  a  woman's 
ability  to  attain  motherhood,  but  it  also 
robs  her  of  the  desire  to  fulfil  this  most 
sacred  purpose  of  her  existence.  From  Dr. 
Harvey  Kellogg,  again  we  read: 

"But  in  addition  to  contributing  to  infant 
mortality  there  is  ground  for  the  belief  that 
the  smoke  habit  among  women  must  tend  to 
lower  the  birth  rate.  The  same  disposition 
that  would  lead  a  woman  to  cultivate  the  to- 
bacco habit  would  naturally  lead  her  to  avoid 
the  perils,  responsibilities  and  inconveniences  of 
motherhood.  The  birth  rate  of  "smart  set" 
mothers  is  the  very  lowest  of  all  classes.  Per- 
haps this  fact  is  a  gain  to  society  rather  than 
a  loss,  so  far  as  this  particular  class  is  con- 
cerned; but  if  all  mothers  should  become 
smokers,  what  would  be  the  effect  upon  the 
future  of  the  race?" 

Nor  is  this  ominous  feeling  limited  to 
those  who  actually  write  upon  the  subject. 
One  of  the  most  prominent  physicians  in 
the  world  in  his  line  recently  said,  in  speak- 
ing before  a  medical  gathering: 

"It  is  a  sad  day  for  the  race,  when  our 
future  mothers  take  to  the  use  of  tobacco,  for 
they  thereby  doom  unborn  generations  to 
physical  and  mental  degeneracy." 

The  past  decade  has  brought  a 
revolution  in  ideas  of  woman's  place  in  the 
economic  phases  of  life.  And  it  must  be 
admitted  that  she  has  proved  herself  equal, 
or  superior,  to  man,  in  many  of  the  fields 
she  has  invaded.  However,  with  her  nat- 
ural ignoring  of  moderation,  she  would 
also  extend  this  equality  of  sexes  to  par- 
taking of  his  vices,  maintaining  that  it  is 
no  worse  for  a  woman  than  for  a  man  to 
do  it.  In  politics  and  in  industry  wom- 
an's influence  has  been  welcome;  but, 
should  she  forsake  her  idealized  pedestal 
and  descend  to  man's  level  in  those  things 


that  increase  his  ungodliness,  she  will  for- 
feit more  than  she  knows.  Man  realizes, 
in  his  heart,  that  his  mate  lives  upon  a 
higher  plane  than  his  own,  and  uncon- 
sciously worships  her  in  it,  which  is  as 
it  should  be.  Allow  her  to  come  down 
from  this,  .and  thel  psychology  will 
naturally  be  altered.  He  will  soon  regard 
her  as  an  equal.  From  being  the  goddess 
of  his  heart  she  will  become  the  partner 
of  his  weakness.  Descended  from  her 
sublime  station,  she  will  be  shorn  of  her 
power  to  inspire  higher  thoughts  and 
desires;  and  will  become  his  equal.  Wom- 
ankind as  a  whole  will  never  falter  in 
the  pathway  Divine  wisdom  laid  for  it; 
but  many  individuals  are  failing  to  see  it, 
in  their  blind  desire  to  reign  in  a  new  and 
impossible  role. 

The  greatly  intensified  effects  of  to- 
baccoism  upon  the  delicate  organism  of 
woman  can  bring  naught  but  degeneracy 
and  unhappiness.  Forfeiting,  by  her  own 
foolish  presumption,  man's  admiration — 
which  she  so  constantly  seeks — she  will 
bring  upon  herself  misery  and  discontent, 
physical  and  mental. 

Effects  Upon  the  Non-User. 

As  has  already  been  stated,  this  humble 
treatise  is  not  a  product  of  any  inclination 
to  preach;  but  rather  of  an  earnest  desire 
to  set  forth  simply  such  truth  as  is  avail- 
able upon  a  question  most  important  in 
human  health.  Carelessness  has  been  said 
to  be  the  characteristic  sin  of  Americans; 
and  while  a  great  many  smokers  are  most 
courteous  and  considerate  of  others  in  their 
smoking,  there  are  many  who  have  no 
shadow  of  regard  for  hardships  imposed 
upon  those  about  them.  That  this  19  of 
some  importance  is  unquestionable,  when 
one  looks  deeper  than  the  surface;  and  the 
problem  of  tobaccoism  assumes  some  con- 
sequence in  its  relation  to  the  non-user  as 
well  as  to  the  enslaved  one.  Dr.  Richard 
Hogner,   in  American  Medicine,   records: 

*  *  *  also  a  case  where  the  sister 
(a  clerk)  was  for  years  a  wreck,  suffering 
from  first  the  father's  smoking  and  after  his 
death,  the  brother's,  in  the  home.  *  *  * 
The  father  smoked  a  pipe,  and  during  this 
time   she   was    not   so    much    affected    as   after 


'Ability  to  conceive  and  bear  children. 


TOBACCO  AND  HUMANITY 


17 


his  death  when  the  brother  began  to  smoke 
at  home,  cigarette  after  cigarette.'  Be  it 
enough  said  that  for  years  she  was  sent  from 
home  to  hospital,  always  improving  after  some 
weeks  at  the  hospital,  soon  to  be  sick  as  ever 
when  she  returned  home.  *  *  *  Really 
she  was  suffering  from  chronic  tobacco 
poisoning. 

"Since  then  so  many  cases  of  tobacco  poison- 
ing without  personal  use  have  come  under  my 
attention  that  it  seems  a  duty  to  mention  this 
wholesale  tobacco  poisoning  of  innocent  vic- 
tims, mostly  women  and  children. 

*  *  *  How  quickly  children  and 
wives  'pick  up'  when  they,  rid  of  the  father's 
or  somebody's  else  tobacco  smoke,  go  to  the 
country.  It  is  attributed  to  the  fresh  coun- 
try air.  May  be!  But  add:  'free  from  to- 
bacco smoke.'  " 

This  question  is  not  one  to  be  passed 
lightly  over.  No  one  doubts  for  a  minute 
the  untoward  effects  of  nicotine  upon  the 
young,  in  both  animals  and  plants;  and 
it  is  more  than  possible  that  many  a  sickly 
child,  in  the  household  of  a  father  who 
unreservedly  saturates  his  home  with  to- 
bacco smoke,  is  delicate  because  of  this  and 
nothing  else.  The  extent  to  which  some  of 
these  individuals  will  go,  in  their  disre- 
gard for  those  about  them  is  almost  beyond 
Belief.  Usually  it  seems  to  be  a  matter  of 
unthinking  ignorance,  and  not  of  deter- 
mination. The  writer  recently  remarked 
a  well-fed  person  traveling  in  a  small, 
closed  automobile,  with  a  young  infant 
and  its  pale,  thin  mother.  All  windows 
of  the  vehicle  were  tightly  shut;  and  this 
individual,  who  undoubtedly  regarded 
himself  as  quite  "some  man,"  was  in- 
dustriously further  thickening  the  already 
blue  atmosphere  from  a  fat  cigar!  Almost 
beyond  belief;  and  yet  he  appeared  utterly 
unconscious  of  any  sin.  He  probably  loves 
his  family  and  believes  he  is  as  good  to 
them  as  any  man  could  be. 

Young  infants  of  smoking  mothers  have 
been  observed  to  show  symptoms  of  to- 
bacco poisoning;  and  it  is  certain  that  they 
not  only  get  it  from  the  mother's  milk — 
when  she  has  any  to  feed  them  at  the 
breast — but  they  also  absorb  it  from  the 
tobacco-tainted  air  of  the  homes  to  which 
they  have  been  entrusted.  Fathers  who 
smoke  should  certainly  never  indulge  in  it 
within  the  walls  of  their  own  domicile, 
unless  provided  with  a  room  for  that  pur- 
pose,   and    into    which    infants    and    small 


children  of  the  household  are  not  per- 
mitted to  come.  No  real  father  is  so  low 
that  he  would  knowingly  deny  the  un- 
voiced plea  of  his  offspring  for  robust 
health:  but  ignorance,  the  most  dangerous 
of  all  human  frailties,  may  betray  him  into 
doing  so. 

Adults  not  given  to  the  use  of  nicotine, 
frequently  suffer  of  carbon-monoxide 
headache,  as  a  result  of  association  in  close 
rooms  with  smoking  comrades  and  co- 
workers. The  modern  convention,  whether 
it  be  of  bankers,  stockmen  or  physicians, 
has  come  to  be  a  veritable  smoking  orgy; 
and  those  who  attend  do  so  at  the  expense 
of  their  possible  discomfort  and  temporary 
mental  stupefaction.  However,  there  are 
some  reasons  for  hoping  that  smoking  will 
be  restricted  to  somewhat  of  its  rightful 
place,  so  far  as  public  gatherings  are  con- 
cerned. It  is  said  that  smoking  is  no' 
longer  permitted  in  the  United  States  Senate 
Chambers;  and  the  largest  medical  school 
in  America  has  banned  the  smoker's  in- 
dulgence from  its  classrooms. 

The  economic  side  of  tobaccoism,  too, 
is  a  phase  worthy  of  our  attention;  but 
its  magnitude  and  ramifications  make  it  a 
fit  subject  for  a  whole  paper,  and  tend  to 
preclude  its  disucssion  from  this  brief  sum- 
mary of  tobacco's  effect  upon  health.  Dr. 
Frederick  J.  Pack,  in  his  book,  Tobacco 
and  Human  Efficiency,  offers  some  inter- 
esting facts  upon  this  part  of  the  question. 

Many  details  of  nicotine's  action  upon 
the  human  body  are  still  clothed  in 
mystery,  chiefly  because  of  the  difficulty 
besetting  experimental  study  of  them. 
However  there  is  abundant  evidence  of  its 
unhealthfulness  and  undesirability  to  con- 
demn it  to  the  average  person.  Attempts 
to  legislate  against  the  habit  have  regularly 
brought  forth  wild  cries,  from  the  smokers, 
about  interference  with  "personal  liberty." 
Their  ill-considered  use  of  the  term  under 
such  circumstances  excites  wonder  as  to 
how  one  may  really  pursue  personal  liberty 
in  deliberately  signing  one's  mind  and  body 
over  into  slavery.  For  tobaccoism  is  a 
slavery,  paid  for  with  the  reddest  blood 
and  the  most  precious  vigor  of  soul  which 
a  human  being  may  fall  heir  to. 

Provo.    Utah. 


The  Spirit  of  Christmas 

By  Irvin  L.  Warnock 


It  all  started  one  morning  two  weeks 
before  Christmas.  Chick  Bowers  pushed 
back  his  chair,  assumed  his  favorite  orator- 
ical attitude  and  addressed  the  group  about 
the  breakfast  table.  "Gentlemen,"  he  be- 
gan, "an  important,  yea,  a  momentous 
question  confronts  the  K.  T.  Infant 
Fraternity.  In  fact  an  adamant  question  is 
demanding  plausible  if  not  immediate 
solution." 

"Gentlemen,  the  question  stands,  What 
is  the  Spirit  of  Christmas?  We  are  di- 
vided by  opinions  various  and  sundry. 
What  makes  Christmas  different  from 
every  other  holiday?  Why  the  universal 
appeal?  What  element  or  ingredient  ex- 
alts the  Christmas  tide?  An  insignificant 
majority  contend  it  is  the  psychology  of 
love  augmented  by  the  spirit  of  giving." 

"I  say  Christmas  is  Christmas  because 
of  the  fun  of  receiving,"  broke  in  Dan. 
Smile9  of  disapproval  passed  among  the 
boys,  all  except  Homer  Williams,  who 
gave  the  speaker  a  slap  on  the  shoulder, 
saying,    "Atta   boy." 

"Christmas  wouldn't  be  much  fun  with- 
out Santa  Claus,"  weakly  piped  Jimmy. 
A  roar  of  laughter  followed. 

Chick  resumed,  "Gentlemen,  K.  T. 
traditions  make  it  imperative  that  a 
thorough  analysis  be  made.  After  the 
holidays  we  could,  no  doubt,  perform  a 
post  mortem  examination,  but  this  being 
the  tenth  day  of  December  this  said  Spirit 
of  Christmas  is  a  vigorous  youngster,  with 
increasing  strength  and  vitality  each  mo- 
ment until  the  day  of  December  25." 

"And  this  being  the  hour  of  eight  a.  m., 
I  motion  the  discussion  be  postponed  until 
after  dinner,"  suggested  practical,  red- 
haired  Billy  Murphy. 

"One  point  before  we  disperse,"  put  in 
Chick.  "Those  who  believe  in  Santa 
Claus  may  write  their  little  letters  to- 
night and  I  shall  help  them  hang  their 
stockings  on  Christmas  Eve."  And  he 
waved  an  elegant  gesture  toward  the  three 


freshmen  opposite.     Another  roar  went  up. 

Ten  pairs  of  feet  scuffed  the  floor.  Ten 
chairs  squeaked  their  protest.  Nine  neatly 
folded  napkins  rested  serenely  beside  as 
many  plates.  One  crumpled  white  heap  on 
the  floor  marked  the  chair  of  Dan  Mul- 
tree.  Dan  was  that  way,  thoughtless,  ill- 
trained.  Ten  boys  grabbed  hats  and  books 
and  the  K.  T.  secret  fraternity  was  once 
more  absorbed  in  the  myriad  duties  of  the 
ordinary  school  day. 

These  ten  boys,  finding  themselves 
thrown  together  by  fate  in  the  form  of  a 
boarding  house,  wisely  or  otherwise, 
banded  themselves  into  a  brotherhood. 
"A  pure  democracy,"  Chick  called  it, 
"where  we  older  and  more  intelligent  fel- 
lows may  regulate  somewhat  the  actions  of 
the  greenies,  that  we  be  not  swamped  in 
mortification."  Their  only  secret  was 
their  name.  K.  T.  was  all  anyone  out- 
side ever  heard.  Mrs.  Wright,  the  land- 
lady, slyly  suggested  perhaps  it  stood  for 
Kitchen  Thieves.  But  the  boys  merely 
smiled. 

At  the  usual  hour  that  night  they  saun- 
tered into  the  study.  One  or  two  im- 
mediately buried  themselves  in  text  books. 
Dan  Multree  dived  into  the  over-stuffed 
rocker  and  lost  himself  in  its  depths.  Ex- 
tracting two  letters  from  an  inside  pocket 
he  leisurely  opened  one;  a  business-looking 
letter  in  a  plain  envelope,  and  glanced  at 
the  few  scrawled  lines.  Then  his  eye 
swept  the  accompanying  check  and  lingered 
at  the  right  edge,  where  the  sum  was  des- 
ignated. A  scowl  darkened  his  face.  His 
lips  pressed  together  and  protruded.  After 
a  minute  a  freakish  smile  played  at  the 
corners  of  hi9  mouth  and  twisted  the 
thin  lip  line.     Slowly  he  nodded  his  head. 

"The  Spirit  of  Christmas,"  announced 
Chick,  abruptly,  "having  agitated  the  in- 
tellects of  this  august  and  erudite  as- 
semblage, now  comes  forward  for  elucida- 
tion.    Gentlemen,  what  is  your  pleasure?" 

"Come  down  to  earth,"  popped  in 
Jimmy.      "Shades  of  Noah!      Can't  you 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  CHRISTMAS 


119 


talk  American?  I  have  never  learned  but 
one  language." 

Chick's  face  clouded  momentarily,  but 
his  genial  smile  soon  chased  the  clouds 
off.  "I  condescend,  little  boy,  by  the 
cat's  paws.  Will  some  of  you  guys  please 
extend  a  handle  whereby  we  may  grasp  the 
breakfast  talk  of  this  morning.  Do  you 
get  the  drift  now,  Jimmy  Green?"  A 
friendly  laugh  followed. 

"The  Good  Book  says  'tis  better  to  give 
than  to  receive;  perhaps  that  is  what  makes 
Yuletide  so  different,"  suggested  Billy 
Murphy. 

"Righto,"  shouted  Phil,  eyes  sparkling. 
"Ask  McClintock.  After  their  walloping 
Friday  they  should  stoutly  confirm  the 
Good  Book.  Thirteen  to  four — wow- 
ee-e — I'll  say  it's  better  to  give  than  to 
receive."  And  he  vehemently  thumped  the 
gleaming  red  letter  on  the  breast  of  his 
immaculate  white  sweater. 

Dan  squirmed  in  the  depths  of  his 
luxury.  "It's  all  according  to  what  you 
are  giving  and  what  you  are  receiving." 

"And  who  is  doing  it,"  finished  Jimmy, 
with  fitting  emphasis  and  a  significant 
glance. 

"Oh,  yes.  Of  course,  that  makes  some 
difference,"  Dan  retorted,  without  losing 
his  equanimity. 

Dan's  selfishness  was  beginning  to  rasp 
on  the  finer  natures  of  his  companions. 
They  could  not  refrain,  at  times,  from 
giving  quips  that  would  have  penetrated 
a  less  self-centered  consciousness.  He  had 
been  a  thorn  under  the  thumb  nail  of 
Chick  Bowers  since  the  term  began.  Chick 
whirled  on  him  now  with  sudden  violence. 
"See  here,  Dan,  you're  spoiling.  What 
makes  you  take  that  attitude?  You 
wouldn't  be  happy  if  everyone  gave  to 
you  without  you  giving  in  return.  All 
receiving  and  no  giving  would  soon  fall, 
even  with  you.  Christmas  must  be  misery 
and  miserly  to  anyone  who  thinks  only 
of  receiving.  It's  the  altruism  of  Christ- 
mas that  endears  it.  The  beautiful  cus- 
tom of  making  gifts,  prototyped  by  the 
supreme  gift  of  God  at  Bethlehem.  Hu- 
manity hungers  for  unselfish  devotees  at 
the  shrine  of  service." 


"Oh,  cut  the  sob  stuff,  Chick!"  said 
Dan,  with  a  shrug  of  resentment. 

"But  what  makes  you  cling  to  that  un- 
friendly position,"  Chick  persisted. 

"It's  modern,  Chick.  Right  up  to  date. 
Your  ideas  are  antiquated.  They  became 
obsolete  when  Rockefeller  invested  in  oil. 
Get — get — get,  that's  America.  Acquire, 
build,    push.       Get    while    the    getting    is 

good — and    d n    the   cost.      Moderns 

know  only  the  eleventh  commandment; 
Get  what  you  want,  but  get  it." 

"Then  you  think  that  America  has  dis- 
carded the  Golden  Rule,  Dan?  That  the 
three  wise  men  at  the  stable  in  Bethle- 
hem were  fools.  That  their  gifts  to  the 
infant  Christ  were  folderol?"  Chick  faced 
Dan  squarely,  an  intense  fire  in  his  eyes 
and  an  unquestionable  earnestness  in  his 
voice.  "Dan,  do  you  honestly  believe  that 
the  Spirit  of  Christmas  is  dying?" 

"Oh,  maybe  not  as  steep  as  that.  But 
it  lacks  the  ring  of  genuineness.  There's 
much  that  isn't  apparent  on  the  surface. 
We're  not  a  nation  of  philanthropists, 
you  know,  Chick." 

The  boys  were  all  listening  attentively 
now.  The  discussion  had  taken  the  as- 
pect of  a  dialogue.  Chick,  big  of  body, 
big  of  mind,  and  big  of  heart,  was  easily 
the  favorite,  yet  not  drawing  on  his  as- 
sets. He  felt  no  need  of  reserves,  either. 
Always  he  met  the  moment's  exigency  with 
cool  control  and  stored  his  surplus  per- 
sonality in  the  bank  of  friendship. 

From  the  practical  mind  of  Billy  Mur- 
phy came  another  suggestion.  "Fellows, 
isn't  it  possible  that  the  compromise  be- 
tween the  two  extremes  is  the  true  Christ- 
mas Spirit?  What  I  mean  is  this,  the 
joy  of  giving  is  enhanced  by  the  anticipa- 
tion of  receiving?" 

"That's  just  it,"  shouted  Dan,  "only 
more  of  it.  Christmas  gifts  would  be  as 
scarce  as  ice  in  the  Sahara  if  the  donors 
did  not  expect  in  return  just  as  much,  or 
a  little  more,  than  they  gave.  I've  seen 
it." 

Again  Chick  took  up  the  defense.  "My 
view  of  the  ideal  Christmas  gift  is  that 
it  be  given  without  sordidness.  Also  it 
should  fit  the  character  of  the  recipient  and 
the  measure  of  esteem  that  prompted  it." 


120 


IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


"One  other  point,"  added  Dan. 

"What?" 

"It  should  fit  the  purse  of  the  donor." 
Dan  won  a  point,   a9  the  smiles  testified. 

Mrs.  Wright  stood  in  the  door,  smil- 
ing. Friendly,  congenial  smiles,  quite  un- 
like the  proverbially  parsimonious  land- 
lady. 

"Welcome,  Mother  Wright!"  shouted 
several  voices  in  unison. 

"No  serious  trouble,  though!"  reassured 
Chick,  blandly,  offering  his  chair. 

"Thanks,  boys.  And  I  didn't  come 
anticipating  trouble,  Chick,  neither  to 
pacify  it.  It  just  isn't  needed,  among 
my  boys."  And  she  gave  him  a  smile  of 
approval,  the  smile  they  all  worshiped.  "I 
came  to  ask  about  the  holidays.  How  many 
are  going  home  for  Christmas?  I  want 
to  do  some  planning.  You  see,  if  you  are 
all  going  to  leave,  Marvin  will  see  that 
the  pipes  and  furnace  are  kept  from  freez- 
ing and  Daddy  Wright  will  take  Margie 
and  me  out  to  the  old  homestead  to  spend 
Christmas  with  the  married  children — -and 
the  babies.  Oh,  we'd  love  to  go.  Haven't 
had  any  kiddies  around  for  four  years 
now.  and  Christmas  doesn't  s;cm  natural 
without  the  little  tots.  Frank  and  Emily 
are  coming  this  year,  too."  Her  enthusiasm 
was  contagious,  but  she  hesitated,  smoth- 
ered a  wistful  sigh,  and  added,  "But  I 
mustn't  influence  any  of  you  by  my  child- 
ish anticipations." 

"I'm  going."  "And  I."  "And  I."  "And 
I."  It  echoed  around  the  group  until  it 
came  back  to  the  big  rocker  where  Dan 
Multree  slumped.     Dan  never  moved. 

A  razor-edged  silence  persisted  for  a  full 
minute.  All  eyes  were  riveted  on  the  fig- 
ure half  hidden  among  the  bulging  leather 
cushions.  All  knew  that  Dan  had  heard 
the  words  of  Mrs.  Wright  and  all  knew 
that  she  felt  in  duty  bound  to  forego  her 
plans  should  any  of  them  remain  over  the 
holidays.  Chick  broke  the  silence  by  ask- 
ing calmly,  "How  about  it,  Dan?  We've 
all  answered  but  you." 

A  smile  woke  on  the  lips  of  Mrs.  Wright 
but  died  suddenly  as  Dan  answered,  de- 
liberately, without  turning.  "I'm  going 
to  stay." 


Something  akin  to  a  swear  word  welled 
up  in  the  throat  of  Chick  Bowers,  but 
it  perished  between  his  teeth.  A  cold 
tenseness  gripped  the  other  boys,  and  Mrs. 
Wright  hastily  turned  to  the  door  she  had 
just  entered.  "Wait,  Mother  Wright," 
called  Chick,  then  turned  to  Dan.  There 
was  no  trace  of  anger  in  his  face  or  voice, 
instead  a  deep  solicitude  edged  his  words. 
"Dan,"  he  said,  quietly,  "I  want  to  get 
this  thing  straight.  If  it's  the  price  of  the 
fare  you  lack,  I'll  loan  it  to  you  until  you 
get  back." 

"Oh,  no.  I  just  received  a  pittance 
from  the  Governor,"   tapping  hi9  pocket. 

"Then  why  aren't  you  going?" 

"Excuse  me,  old  top,  but  can't  a  fellow 
stick  around  his  boarding  place  without 
starting  a  squabble?" 

"But  it  isn't  fair, — -just  now." 

"I'm  paying  my  way.  Chick."  Dan 
spoke  with  a  note  of  finality. 

Chick  followed  Mrs.  Wright  to  the 
kitchen.  He  promised  to  take  care  of  Dan, 
assuring  her  that  Dan  would  undoubtedly 
go  to  Metropolis  even  if  he  would  not 
go  home.  If  Marvin  was  going  to  stay 
and  care  for  the  furnace  and  keep  the 
house  from  freezing  there  was  really  no 
reason  for  remaining.  Couldn't  Dan  get 
his  meals  in  town?  And  as  for  bed — 
well,  it  wouldn't  hurt,  just  for  ten  days). 
By  dint  or  argument  and  many  reassur- 
ances Chick  persuaded  her  to  consummate 
her  plans  for  spending  the  Yuletide  at  the 
old  homestead.  Why  not  Marvin  and 
Dan  keep  bachelor's  hall? 

Marvin  was  studying  art,  with  a  capital 
A.  He  tended  the  furnace  in  the  big 
Wright  house  for  the  privilege  of  occupy- 
ing the  cot  in  the  furnace  room,  and  using 
the  empty  corner  as  studio.  He  paid  tui- 
tion fees  by  doing  janitor  work,  washed 
dishes  at  the  cafeteria  for  his  staff  of 
life  and  daubed  water  colors  on  Movie 
Display  Pictures,  a  slouchy  job  he  loathed, 
for  the  filthy  lucre  that  kept  him  clothed, 
and  paid  for  paints  and  books. 

The  K.  T.  exclusive  fraternity  held 
its  last  session  on  Wednesday  night  before 
Christmas.  Two  of  the  boys  caught  the 
10  p.  m.  interurban  and  were  home  in  a 
few  hours.      Six  others  straggled  out  the 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  CHRISTMAS 


121 


next  morning.  Chick  used  every  subtle 
argument  at  his  command  to  induce  the 
Wrights  to  go.  Finally  he  told  them  he 
was  going  to  ask  Dan  to  go  home  with  him. 
An  ugly  mood  had  been  growing  on  Dan 
for  more  than  a  week,  in  fact,  since  the 
night  he  and  Chick  had  argued  the  Spirit 
of  Christmas.  All  the  while  the  others 
were  absorbed  in  the  joyful  preparations 
for  the  home  visits,  Dan  became  silent 
and  taciturn.  Snatches  of  song,  spilled  out 
in  glee,  drove  him  further  within  himself. 
The  banter  at  meal  times  widened  the 
abys9  between  himself  and  the  others.  He 
narrowed  his  conversation  to  replies  when 
spoken  to.  Even  these  were  barely  with- 
in the  boundary  of  civility.  Chick  noticed, 
or  thought  he  did,  a  particular  restraint 
when  he  approached  any  group  where 
Dan  was.  This  troubled  him,  as  he  won- 
dered if  he  had  over-stepped  in  trying  to 
make  Dan  realize  his  selfishness.  He  did 
not  want  to  antagonize  Dan. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright,  with  their  daugh- 
ter Margie,  drove  away  in  the  big  car  early 
Friday  morning.  Having  waved  a  hearty 
farewell  to  them,  Chick  took  the  steps 
to  the  house  in  a  bound,  and  barely  missed 
bumping  into  Dan  at  the  door,  evidently 
waiting  for  him.  The  two  boys  faced 
each  other;  neither  spoke  for  the  fraction 
of  a  second.  Chick  was  surprised  and 
wondering.  Dan  was  slightly  agitated  and 
a  mocking  grin  twisted  the  line  between  his 
lips.  He  spoke  with  the  slightest  hint  of 
sneer.  "Well,  guardian  angel,  what  is 
your  game?" 

"Game?  Why?  What  are  you  driv- 
ing at?" 

"Oh,  nothing,  sweet  innocence.  But, 
I  was  just  curious  to  know  why  you 
gave  up  your  vacation  plans  to  remain 
at  my  side.  We've  never  played  Damon 
and  Pythias  before,  you  know.  I'm  not 
sure  that  spending  Christmas  together 
would  strengthen  our  bond  of  affection. 
We  don't  always  jibe  on  our  ideas  of 
celebrating,   you  see." 

"That  is  so.  Dan.  But  can't  a  fellow  de- 
cide to  hang  around  his  boarding  house 
over  the  holidays  without  starting  a  squab- 
ble?" Dan  received  the  thrust  a9  a  slap 
in  the  face.     Hot  blood  surged  to  his  tem- 


ples and  his  chin  twitched  just  a  little  as 
he  retorted.  "I'm  telling  you,  Chick,  if 
you  are  sacrificing  yourself  for  my  pleasure, 
your  sentimentality  is  distinctly  not  ap- 
preciated. I'm  spending  Christmas  Eve 
after  my  own  fashion.  Any  shadowing  or 
interference  will  not  alone  be  offensive 
but  might  brew  trouble." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  old  man,"  said 
Chick,  placing  a  friendly  hand  on  the 
other's  shoulder.  "No  offense  intended, 
I  assure  you."  Dan  shrugged  his  shoulder 
away.  "I've  been  wanting  to  ask  you, 
Dan,  if  you  would  accept  an  invitation 
to  come  home  with  me.  Mother  is  a 
wonderful  cook,  and  Dad, — well  Dad  is 
just  the  best  pal  ever.  Will  you  come,  old 
top?" 

"No." 

"We  could  catch  that  nine  o'clock 
creeper  and  be  out  there  by  two  this  after- 
noon." 

"No." 

"Mother  always  bakes  Christmas  cake 
at  Thanksgiving  time  and  Dad  is  the  best 
hand  in  the  state  at  roasting  baby  pigs. 
There  will  be  home-made  cider,  too." 
Chick's  face  brightened  as  he  pictured  the 
feast.  "Come,  old  fellow,  forget  our 
grievances,  and  let's  hit  the  home  trail,  to- 
gether." 

"No,"  snapped  Dan.  "If  I  wanted  a 
home  celebration  I  would  have  been  there 
by  now.  But  to  go  where  there  is  a  bunch 
of  kidsi — no,  thanks.  Squalling  babies, — 
hub-bub, — litters  of  toys  to  stumble  over, 
— deafening  horn  and  drums, — clang, 
clang  and  more  noise, — baugh!"  He 
shrugged  his  shoulders  and  vanished  up 
the  stairs. 

Chick  gazed  after  him.  "Something 
wrong  inside,"  he  mused,  "nothing  ex- 
terior will  ever  affect  him.  Must  come 
from   the   inside  out." 

Mid-afternoon  came  and  Dan  had  not 
stirred  from  his  room,  although  Chick 
could  hear  footsteps  and  occasionally  catch 
the  sound  of  whistling.  Answering  the 
telephone  Chick  heard  a  feminine  voice 
ask  for  Mr.  Multree.  He  moved  to  the 
Foot  of  the  stairway  and  called  Dan.  The 
half  of  the  conversation  he  heard  was. 
"Hello!      Yes— You      don't     say.— Well, 


122 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


get  someone  else. — Curses,  why  so  late? 
— Oh,  all  right. — Great,  great! — Yes. 
Sure.  Just  two? — I'll  say  he  will. — I 
love  it. — Don't  worry,  I'll  be  ready — ta- 
ta." 

Dan's  feelings,  as  shown  outwardly, 
were  quite  changed  from  what  they  were 
several  hours  before  when  Chick  faced 
him  in  the  door-way.  Now  he  seemed 
bubbling  over  with  happiness;  the  care- 
free happiness  that  borders  on  recklessness. 
Chick  noticed  and  marvelled  at  the  change. 

To-night  Marvin  felt  a  mingled  thrill 
of  exaltation  and  depression,  as  he  washed 
his  smoky  hands  in  the  laundry  tub,  in 
the  basement.  His  cot  in  the  corner  of  the 
furnace  room  served  as  chair  as  he  worked 
at  the  improvised  easel  on  the  edge  of  the 
little  table.  But  tonight  he  was  going 
to  work.  Surely  on  Christmas  Eve  he 
need  not  paint.  And  besides  he  must  dis- 
tribute his  gifts.  These  were  dainty  cards 
he  had  decorated  in  colored  landscapes. 
Not  much,  to  be  sure,  but  had  he  not 
daubed  two  dozen  Movie  Displays  for  the 
money  to  buy  stock  and  then  spent  hours 
in  decorating?  His  exaltation  came  from 
having  put  his  soul  into  his  tiny  gifts. 
His  depression  arose  in  fear  that  his  tokens 
might  not  please.  But  the  subtle  spirit  of 
Christmas  gave  wings  to  his  feet  and 
melody  to  his  voice  as  he  passed  under 
the  big  French  window  where  Dan  sat, 
half  interestedly  reading  a  magazine.  Mar- 
vin's voice  trailed  off  down  the  street. 
Dan  glanced  at  his  watch,  shuffled  his 
position  and  returned  to  his  book. 

Three  quarters  of  an  hour  later  Marvin 
returned,  approaching  the  front  door.  Si- 
multaneously Chick  Bowers  came  from  the 
opposite  direction.  "Hello,  Marvin,"  he 
called,  cheerfully,  "Come  in.  Deliciously 
crisp  out  tonight,   isn't  it?" 

"Thanks,  Mr.  Bowers,"  returned  Mar- 
vin, following  inside.  "I'm  playing  Santa 
Claus.  These  cards  are  all  I  could  af- 
ford." He  handed  one  to  Chick.  "And 
here  is  one  for  you  Mr.  Multree.  I'll 
just  leave  these  others  here  for  the  rest 
of  the  boys  when  they  come  back." 

"Beautiful,  Marvin,  exquisite,"  exclaim- 
ed Chick.  "And  hand  painting,  I'll  de- 
clare.      Marvin,     that's     artistic.      You'll 


make  the  race,  boy,  you've  got  the  goods." 
As  Chick  examined  the  delicately  traced 
card,  extolling  its  consummate  design,  the 
face  of  the  young  artist  beamed  in  delight. 
His  mat  of  brown  hair  tossed,  his  quiet, 
blue  eyes  sparkled  and  a  touch  of  color 
shone  through  the  transparency  of  his 
cheeks.  A  morsel  of  praise  was  more  than 
bread. 

Dan  glanced  carelessly  at  his  gift  and 
tossed  it  to  the  table,  "Thanks,  kid,"  he 
said,   "it  will  be  handy  as  a  book-mark." 

The  light  died  from  Marvin's  eyes  but 
the  color  froze  in  his  cheeks.  Chick  saw 
the  hurt  and  his  two  big  hands  clinched. 
His  eyes  traveled  to  Dan's  placid  face,  but 
before  he  could  speak  Dan  jumped  up, 
fretfully.  "It  isn't  my  custom  to  give 
Christmas  presents,  Marvin;  so  I  hope  you 
won't  expect  a  silk  handkerchief,  or  an 
etching  outfit  in  return  for  your  card." 

Marvin  choked  and  reeled.  Chick 
glowered  at  Dan,  then  placed  an  arm 
around  the  shoulders  of  the  artist  and 
guided  him  toward  the  basement  steps, 
saying  something  about  wanting  to  see 
more  of  his  work. 

Dan,  left  alone,  smiled  a  sickly, 
sardonic  smile,  studied  his  watch  and  paced 
twice  across  the  room.  He  stopped 
abruptly,  listened  impatiently,  then  mut- 
tered, "Why  don't  they  come,  it's  ten 
o'clock  already." 

Shortly  a  footstep  resounded  on  the  ce- 
ment porch.  Dan's  face  brightened.  Not 
waiting  for  the  bell  he  sprang  to  the  door 
and  wrenched  it  open,  switching  the  out- 
side light  as  he  did  so.  A  gust  of  bitter 
cold  air  struck  his  face,  but  it  was  the 
sight  of  a  ragged,  shivering  urchin  that 
swept  him  back  in  astonishment. 

The  child  raised  big,  sober,  wistful  eyes 
and  asked,  between  chattering  teeth, 
"P-please,  M-M-Mister,  is  Sa-Sa-Santa 
Claus  here?  I  b-been  lookin'  ever  wh- 
where." 

Dan's  first  impulse  was  to  say,  no,  and 
close  the  door.  Then  an  absurd  desire  to 
laugh  struck  him.  But  he  did  not  laugh. 
The  simple  faith  and  earnestness  of  the 
child  arrested  him.  Instead  of  laughing 
he  said  "No,  kid,  there  isn't  any  Santa 
CI ."      He   did   not   finish  the  word. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  CHRISTMAS 


123 


Into  the  upturned  face  of  the  child  came 
the  tragedy  of  shattered  hope,  and  Dan 
recognized  it.  The  two  great  glistening 
tears  that  coursed  down  the  little  cheeks 
were  the  first  that  had  ever  touched  his 
heart,  but  he  felt  that  these  were  melting 
into  his  soul.  Nothing  can  be  more  po- 
tent than  baby  tears  in  fusing  human 
hearts. 

"Come  in,  Sonny,  and  warm  up  while 
I   tell  you  what  became  of  Santa  Claus." 

Dan  snatched  a  cushion  from  a  chair 
and  spread  it  over  the  low  radiator  be- 
neath the  French  window,  then  deposited 
his  small  visitor  a-top.  Taking  the  cold, 
blue  hands  between  his  own  he  pressed  and 
warmed  them.  The  child  was  scantily  but 
neatly  dressed,  a  mat  of  golden  hair  match- 
ing the  fair  face  and  blue  eyes.  Dan 
guessed  his  age  at  five  or  six. 

The  child's  astonished  eyes  wandered 
over  the  room  several  times  but  each  time 
returned  to  gaze  into  Dan's  face.  Each 
time  they  came  back,  Dan  felt  discom- 
fited. Why,  he  did  not  know,  unless  it 
was  that  they  seemed  to  be  looking  be- 
yound  his  face,  into  his  mind;  yes,  beyond 
that,  right  down  into  his  very  soul.  Dan 
thought  he  had  never  seen  such  big,  trans- 
parent, trusting,  thoughtful  eyes.  Des- 
perately he  wondered  how  he  was  to  meet 
the  inevitable.  Could  he  dis-illusion  this 
child  on  the  Santa  Claus  hoax?  He  was 
quite  unfortified  when  the  boy  suddenly 
laughed  a  musical  little  laugh  and  threw 
himself  into  his  arms  with  the  question, 
"Will  you  please  be  my  Daddy?  An' 
take  me  to  Santa  Claus'  house?  Will  you, 
Mister,  please?" 

Dan  found  himself  kneeling  beside  the 
radiator  with  the  tiny  form  crushing  his 
shirt  front,  two  little  hands  playing  havoc 
with  his  tie  and  collar.  But  for  once  in 
his  life  Dan  Multree  was  not  thinking  of 
himself.  The  piping  voice  was  babbling 
close  to  his  ear.  "Momie  says  if  I  had  a 
Daddy  then  old  Santa  Claus  would  come. 
But  I  ain't  ever  had  a  Daddy  an'  I  ain't 
ever  seen  Santa.  But  last  year  he  left 
some  stockings  fer  me  and  a  little  doll  fer 
Betty  over  to  Mrs.  Higgs's.  An'  tonight 
I  told  Betty  I  wuz  goin'  t'  find  Santa's 
house    an'    tell   him   how    good    we   been. 


You'll  take  me,  won't  you.  Mister,  'cause 
Betty  wants  some  dishes  jist  awful  an' 
she's  been  jist  awful  good." 

Dan  was  speechless.  Utterance  failing, 
he  merely  held  the  throbbing  little  body 
closer,  blankly  staring  at  the  cream  cur- 
tains and  drawn  blinds  of  the  window, 
but  they  seemed  misty  and  distant.  He 
felt  glad  they  were  alone.  A  new,  un- 
known sensation  pulsed  somewhere  inside 
him  and  warmed  its  way  to  the  surface 
while  a  determination  formed  within  his 
mind. 

"Where  do  you  live?  Sonny?"  Finally 
words  came. 

"Down  on  K.  Street,  jist  across  the 
street  this  way  from  the  fire  house,"  an- 
swered the  boy,  pointing. 

"And  what  is  your  name?" 

"Otto.     Otto  Mullin." 

"Well,  Otto  boy,  let  me  tell  you  some- 
thing. Santa  Claus  is  awfully  busy  to- 
night; there  are  so  many  little  boys  and 
girls  to  see — so  he  may  be  late  getting 
around  to  your  house,  but  he'll  come,  Otto, 
I'm  sure  he'll  ." 

"There  he  is  now,"  screamed  the 
youngster,  wild  with  delight,  "Just  like 
the  pictures.     Oh-h  goody,  goody!" 

Dumfounded,  Dan  whirled  around,  and 
sure  enough,  standing  in  the  hall  door 
stood  Santa  Claus,  with  Marvin  just  be- 
hind. It  would  be  hard  to  tell  which  face 
showed  the  greatest  astonishment,  Mar- 
vin's, Dan's,  the  child's,  or  that  of  Santa 
Claus. 

Collecting  his  scattered  senses  Dan  joined 
the  glee  of  the  youngster,  while  Santa 
Claus  began  desperately  to  look  for  his 
toy  sack.  Marvin  snatched  a  china  doll 
from  the  mantle  and  thrust  it  into  the 
hand  of  the  bewildered  Santa.  The  situa- 
tion was  saved.  The  doll  was  presented 
to  Otto  with  all  due  ceremony  with  pro- 
fuse promises  of  a  later  visit  and  toys  for 
Betty,  then  Dan  placed  him  again  a-top 
the  raditor  and  followed  Santa  to  the  hall. 

"Well  done,  Watson,  very  well  done," 
whispered  Santa  to  Marvin  as  Dan  closed 
the  door  behind  them. 

Say  fellows,  are  you  game  for  a  real 
live  Christmas  party?"  asked  Dan,  eager- 
ly.    His  enthusiasm  was  like  fire  in  a  box 


124 


IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


factory.  "He  lives  down  on  K,  and  has 
a  widowed  mother  and  baby  sister.  They've 
been  'awful  good'  in  hopes  Santa  Claus 
would  find  them  this  year.  The  poor 
kid's  tramped  half  the  town  over  trying  to 
find  him.     We  can  do  it,  can't  we?" 

"I'll  say,"  cried  Chick,  his  big  heart 
swelling  up  into  his  throat. 

"Sh-sh-sh,"  warned  Marvin,  tingling 
with  excitement.      "Not  too  loud." 

"But  where  did  you  come  by  the  togs?" 
asked  Dan. 

"Some  I  planned  to  use  at  home,"  an- 
swered Chick,  "But  not  being  there  Mar- 
vin and  I  were  just  stepping  out  for  high 
adventure." 

"Well,  you  didn't  have  to  step  far," 
said  Dan.  "I'll  take  the  kid  home  and 
be  waiting  for  you.  Just  across  south 
from  the  K  Street  fire  station.  And  here, 
take  these."  Dan  pushed  three  crackling 
green  bills  into  Chick's  hand.  "I  insist, 
Chick.  This  is  my  party.  There  will  be 
some  shops  open  yet.  I  intended  spend- 
ing more  than  that  tonight,  anyhow." 
It  was  Dan's  first  thought,  since  the 
urchin  came  in,  about  his  original  plans. 
An  impatient  haste  seized  him;  a  frenzied 
desire  to  be  off.  Hastily  bundling  the 
child  into  a  big,  red,  jumbo  sweater, 
buttoned  full  length,  he  fairly  tossed  him 
up  against  his  shoulder  as  he  rushed  for 
the  door. 

From  the  porch  he  called  back,  "Oh, 
Chick,  if  anyone  calls  for  me  just  tell 
them  I've  got  an  engagement  with  the 
Spirit  of  Christmas." 

Before  he  reached  the  end  of  the  block 
he  heard  the  big  car  stop  in  front  of  the 
Wright  house  and  the  noisy  group  of 
thoughtless  revellers  shriek  his  name. 
Dodging  around  the  corner  he  pressed  the 
boy  closer  to  his  breast,  murmuring  in 
the  tiny  ear,  "There  will  be  one  lacking 
in  their  carousal  tonight,  thanks  to  you, 
my  Babe  of  Bethlehem." 

The  hour  past  midnight  found  the  three 
boys  re-entering  the  boarding  house.  A 
radiance  of  joy  shone  from  each  counte- 
nance. Dan's  face  was  really  brilliant,  for 
an  exuberance  of  happiness  filled  his  heart. 

"Fellows,"  he  cried,  having  removed 
over  coats,    "I  never  believed  that  young- 


sters could  be  made  so  happy.  Wasn't 
it  classic?  They  certainly  got  under  my 
hide.  Mercy  though,  you  should  have  seen 
the  poor  mother  when  Otto  said  he  had 
found  a  Daddy!  Really,  her  confusion 
was  quite  beautiful.  That's  what  I  call 
fun."  Suddenly  his  face  sobered.  "You 
see,  boys,  being  the  only  child  in  our 
family,  which  means  being  pampered  and 
spoiled,  I  have  really  never  seen  a  bona- 
fide  Christmas  before.  Not  like  this  one, 
I   mean." 

"I've  been  thinking  all  the  night,"  said 
Marvin,  "That  we  were  the  three  wise  men 
of  modern  times." 

"Rather  the  three  wise  boys,"  corrected 
Chick. 

"I'm  not  so  strong  on  the  wisdom  part," 
added  Dan,  "But  I'll  vouch  for  one  much 
wiser  boy.  The  Know  Thyself  Infant 
Fraternity  has  one  member  ready  to  do 
post-graduate  work." 
"Silent  night,  Holy  night! 

All  is  calm,  all  is  right, 

Round  yon  virgin   mother   and  Child! 

Holy  Infant,  so  tender  and  mild; 

Sleep   in   heavenly   peace, 

Sleep  in  heavenly  peace." 

Like  a  clarion  came  the  tender  notes 
through  the  crisp,  clear  night,  a  golden 
tenor  leading  the  melody.  "Carolers," 
whispered  Marvin,  intensely  thrilled.  Dan 
sat  immovable,  every  fiber  of  his  being 
tingling  with  the  delicate  harmony  of  the 
singers.  He  experienced  an  entirely  new 
and  strange  sensation.  Chills  quivered  up 
and  down  his  spine  and  his  temples  throb- 
bed. Speechless,  they  listened  till  the  last 
silvery  notes  trailed  into  silence. 

Dan  moved,  leaned  forward,  placed  a 
hand  over  his  forehead  and  blinked  as  if 
just  waking  from  a  dream.  "Marvin," 
he  said,  "I  owe  you  an  apology  for  my 
rudeness.  Can  you  forgive  my  ill-man- 
ners?" Then  he  extended  a  hand  to 
Chick.  "You  win.  old  chap.  I  con- 
cede the  Spirit  of  Christmas  is  virile  and 
unsoiled,  prompted  by  the  noblest  impulse 
inherent  in  man. — And  by  the  way,  if  that 
invitation  is  still  open  perhaps  we  can 
catch  that  4:30  train.  I'll  be  glad  to 
sample  your  mother's  Christmas  dinner." 

Sigurd,  Utah. 


The  Spirit  of  Love 

By  D.  C.  Retsloff 


Ten-year-old  Mary  Eleanor  was  happy. 
Christmas  was  just  twenty  days  away. 
There  were  so  many  wonderful  things 
to  do,  so  many  secrets  to  share  with 
mother,  grandmother  and  Aunt  Alice. 

Mother  was  helping  her  make  needle 
cases  for  grandmother  and  Aunt  Alice. 
Every  half  hour  was  delightful  for  her  as 
she  sat  in  mother's  room  and  they  sewed 
together.  What  fun  it  was,  putting  the 
work  away,  if  they  heard  grandmother  or 
Aunt  Alice  calling  from  the  flat  above 
where  they  lived. 

Two  afternoons  a  week  Mary  Eleanor 
went  up  to  grandmother's  flat  and  worked 
on  a  luncheon  set  for  mother.  The  yard 
square  cloth  of  white  crepe  was  blanket- 
stitched  on  each  side  with  blue  floss,  and 
there  were  blue  forget-me-nots  in  two  of 
the  corners.  Making  the  pongee  silk 
handkerchief  for  Uncle  Harvey  was  harder 
than  the  work  on  the  luncheon  cloth. 
Sometimes  Mary  Eleanor  was  almost  dis- 
couraged over  the  handkerchief,  but  Aunt 
Alice  was  always  close  beside  to  cheer  her 
up. 

She  had  saved  her  pennies  for  almost  a 
year,  and  she  had  four  dollars  to  spend  in 
the  shops.  Aunt  Alice  was  so  nice  to  go 
shopping  with,  she  was  interested  in  books, 
in  games,  she  thought  it  was  lots  of  fun 
to  make  and  stuff  the  stamped  animals 
and  dolls  that  the  fancy  work  counters 
displayed,  and  the  cutters  to  make  animal 
cookies  pleased  her  almost  as  much  as  they 
did  Mary  Eleanor. 

Three  days  before  Christmas  father 
brought  home  the  grandest  tree;  it  was 
straight  and  tall  and  fitted  perfectly  in 
the  alcove  between  the  parlor  fireplace  and 
the  book  case. 

The  happiest  hour  of  all  was  when 
Aunt  Mary  arrived  from  Boston,  in  time 
to  help  trim  the  tree.  It  took  two  after- 
noons, and  no  one  was  allowed  in  the 
parlor  except  Aunt  Mary  and  Mary 
Eleanor. 


"My,  what  a  lot  of  things  Santa  Claus 
is  bringing  this  year,"  said  Aunt  Mary 
as  she  opened  the  door  and  took  several 
parcels  from  the  hands  of  Aunt  Alice. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mary  Eleanor,  nodding 
her  yellowish  head,  "When  I  was  a  little 
girl  I  thought  that  Santa  Claus  was  a  real 
man,  that  he  lived  up  at  the  North  Pole 
and  drove  reindeer.  Now  I  know  that 
father,  mother,  you.  I,  each  one  is  a  Santa 
Claus  to  some  one  we  love.  If  we  love 
people  we  want  to  give  them  things." 

"Of  course,  we  do,"  Aunt  Mary  agreed, 
as  she  stood  a  fat,  bulky  parcel  up  beside 
the  trunk  of  the  tree.  "You  know  God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  to  it  the  Baby 
Jesus,  years  and  years  ago  in  the  little 
town  of  Bethlehem.  The  wise  men  carried 
gifts  to  the  Baby  to  make  him  happy  and 
comfortable.  During  all  the  years  since, 
people  have  been  wanting  to  make  chil- 
dren happy  so  they  give  them  presents. 
Sometimes  they  do  not  want  the  children 
to  know  where  the  things  come  from,  so 
they  say  they  are  from  Santa  Claus;  I 
think  the  spirit  of  Christmas  is  a  won- 
derful thing." 

"Mother  says  the  spirit  of  Christmas 
means  love,"  Mary  Eleanor  said. 

"Yes.  it  does,  and  the  greatest  love  one 
person  can  express  for  another  is  the  giv- 
ing of  something  that  one  values  very 
highly.  You  see  God  gave  his  Only  Be- 
gotten Son." 

Mary  Eleanor  wrinkled  her  forehead, 
"It  means  lots  of  love  when  we  give  some- 
thing we  want  ourselves,  don't  it?" 

"Yes,  I  think  it  does,"  Aunt  Mary  re- 
plied. 

On  Christmas  eve  after  supper  was  over, 
the  folding  doors  into  the  parlor  were 
opened;  the  electric  button  pushed  and  the 
stately  tree  flashed  forth  a  thing  of  beauty, 
with  its  dozens  of  red  and  green  electric 
lights. 

The  "ah's!"  and  "oh'!"  were  many,  as 


126 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


uncles,  aunts,  father,  mother  and  grand- 
mother took  the  seats  Mary  Eleanor  had 
arranged  for  them. 

Uncle  Harvey  had  been  selected  to  help 
unload  the  tree.  As  he  read  off  the  names, 
he  handed  the  parcels  to  Mary  Eleanor 
and  she  took  them  to  their  Tespective 
owners. 

"Why,  is  this  for  me?"  Father  asked  as 
he  opened  a  box  of  cross-word  puzzles. 

Mary  Eleanor  laughed,  "Yes,  Daddy, 
you  see  when  you  are  not  using  it,  I  can 
loan  it  to  little  cripple  Jim  Brown.  He 
has  had  so  much  fun  with  my  box  of  sliced 
animals." 

"A  good  idea,"   father  nodded  soberly. 

"Look  at  my  book!"  Grandmother  held 
up  a  gay,  red  volume  entitled,  The  Girls 
at  Sunnyside  Farm. 

"I  got  it  on  purpose  for  you  to  read 
to  Kitty  Sanders,  grandma,"  Mary  Eleanor 
explained.  "You  know  you've  read  all  my 
books  to  her  and  I  know  she's  never  heard 
this  one.  The  cover  feels  good,  too;  I 
almost  believe  her  fingers  can  tell  her  the 
color  of  it." 

"I'm  sure  we  will  enjoy  it  together," 
Grandmother  said  softly,  as  she  wiped  her 
glasses. 

Aunt  Mary's  parcel  came  next.  Mary 
Eleanor  stood  waiting  with  a  look  of  great 
expectancy   on  her  round  face. 

"Animal  cookie  cutters!"  Aunt  Mary 
exclaimed.      "How  cute!" 

Mary  Eleanor  clapped  her  hands, 
,TThat's  just  what  Aunt  Alice  said  when 
we  found  them  in  the  ten-cent  store.  I'm 
so  glad  you  like  them,  Aunt  Mary.  Next 
summer  when  I  come  to  visit  you,  we  will 
make  animal  cookies  for  the  laundress' 
little  lame  boy." 


"That's  a  splendid  idea."  Aunt  Mary 
re-wrapped  the  cutters  and  a  queer  little 
smile  deepened  the  dimple  in  her  plump 
cheeks. 

Mary  Eleanor's  gift  to  Aunt  Alice  was 
a  set  of  cloth  dolls  known  as  "The  Jones 
Family."  They  were  all  ready  to  cut,  sew 
and  stuff  with  cotton. 

r'I  knew  you'd  love  to  have  them," 
Mary  Eleanor  smiled  happily,  "because. 
Aunt  Alice,  you  see  they  will  be  so  nice 
for  the  Hafferty  twins  to  play  with  while 
their  mother  sweeps  and  dusts  for  you." 

Mary  Eleanor  looked  around,  her  father 
was  laughing,  but  of  course  he  had  found 
something  funny  in  his  box  of  cross-word 
puzzles. 

After  she  had  gone  to  bed  the  grown- 
ups lingered  in  the  festive  room  discussing 
the  events  of  the  evening. 

"What  queer  things  she  gave  us,"  said 
father. 

"I'm  terribly  disappointed  in  her,"  said 
mother.  "A  child  of  ten  should  have  some 
idea  of  selecting  suitable   gifts." 

Aunt  Mary  turned  toward  them!  There 
was  a  misty  shine  in  her  blue  eyes. 
"Listen,"  she  began.  "We  all  showered 
the  child  with  expensive  gifts.  Pearl  beads, 
a  gold  chain,  a  set  ring,  a  silk  dress,  a 
vanity  case,  a  fur  coat.  Not  one  of  us 
gave  her  anything  she  can  share  with  an- 
other. She  is  the  only  one  among  us 
who  has  truly  displayed  the  spirit  of 
Christmas.  She  gave  us  things  that  her 
own  little  heart  told  her  would  help  us 
make  others  happy,  and  that  truly  is  the 
spirit  of  Christmas." 

San   Diego,   Calif. 


Forgiveness 


Last  night  the  old  home  oped  its  arms  for  me 
As  if  I  had  been  all  a  child  should  be: 
As  if  my  deeds  had  not  brought  pain. 
The  old  arms  opened  for  me  again; 
And  snug  I  nestled  in  its  love 
Oh,  shall  my  sins  not  be  forgiven  above! 
The  head  I  silvered  bends  in  tender  care, 
Master,  will  you,  too,  forgive  me  there? 


GER1IE    GlBbS 


Caddie  Takes  a  Risk 


By  Ida  Stewart  Peay 


It  was  cold  even  in  the  enclosed  back 
landing  where  the  women  were  congre- 
gated; outside  the  chilly  winds  of  Decem- 
ber moaned  dismally. 

"I  intend  to  move  at  once,"  pronounced 
thin-lipped  Mrs.  Vane  of  the  lower  west 
apartment.  There  was  a  baneful  finality 
in  her  tone  which  sent  a  shiver  through 
at  least  one  of  her  hearers.  "I  shan't  be 
imposed  upon  in  any  such  way."  Her 
brown  eyes  snapped  her  indigation  as 
maintaining  her  prideful  posture  she 
pressed  an  intruding  wrinkle  from  her  spot- 
less house  dress  and  smoothed  the  black 
mass  of  her  straight  bob  vigorously. 

"I  shall  move,  also;  I  think  it's  just 
too  bad,"  said  young  Mrs.  Tolman  of  the 
down-stair,  east  apartment.  She  seemed 
very  much  annoyed,  too,  though  her  lips 
were  full  of  curving  and  the  joy  in  her 
eyes  was  undimned.  A  morning  negligee 
of  blue  silk  brought  out  the  gold  in  her 
fluffy  hair;  its  scant  material  revealed  her 
girlish  slimness.  She  had  been  engaged 
in  polishing  her  finger  nails  when  called 
out  to  the  back  landing,  now,  with  the 
ivory  buffer  still  in  her  hand,  she  gave 
her  nails  a  stroke  or  two  at  intervals. 
"What  are  you  going  to  do  Caddie?" 
she  said. 

Thus  addressed  the  third  member  of 
this  impromptu  conference  gave  a  start. 
It  was  she  who  had  shivered  at  Mrs.  Vane's 
dictum;  it  had  plunged  her  into  a  mood 
of  perplexed  speculation.  Caddie  oc- 
cupied the  east  side  of  the  upper  floor; 
she  was  just  Caddie,  Caddie  V,  to  every- 
body. Her  lips  were  a  soft  lavender-pink; 
they  easily  widened  into  a  smile  and  when 
they  did  a  spontaneous,  gleeful  twinkle 
appeared  in  her  blue  eyes  which  was  both 
intimate  and  understanding.  Her  youthful 
chuckle,  always  infectious,  belied  her  grey- 
ing hair.  She  never  seemed  to  be  aware 
of  her  appearance;  it  was  as  if  after  dressing 
her  ample  body  cleanly  and  comfortably 
in  the  morning  she  set  out  upon  her  day's 
affairs   in   the   spirit   entirely   forgetful    of 


the  material  part  of  herself.  It  left  her 
free  to  think  of  others,  to  plan  for  them, 
to  figure  out  the  spiritual  values'  of  life's 
episodes.  "I — I  hardly  know,"  she  hesi- 
tated in  answer  to  her  neighbor's  query, 
slightly  confused  and  sober — for  her.  The 
irrepressible  smile  that  twitched  at  her 
lavender  lips  was  not  allowed  to  appear. 
Her  neighbors  were  in  no  mood  for  the 
non-sensical  and  playfully  satirical  reply 
that  flashed  into  her  mind  along  with  her 
alarm — which  was  to  the  effect  that  she 
would  repair  at  once  to  the  Ritz-Carlton. 
Aloud  she  finished:  "Mother  will  be  up- 
set, no  doubt." 

"My  husband  will  simply  leave  home," 
shrugged  Mrs.  Vane  tightening  her  lips  and 
giving  each  word  an  especial  emphasis: 
"and  Elva  and  Gale  will  be  scandalized." 

"Jack  won't  stand  it  for  a  moment, 
that  I  know,"  echoed  Mrs.  Tolman. 

"Such  a  ragamuffin  outfit!  And  a 
regular  army,  too — " 

"Sh — ,  here  they  come,  now,"  from 
Caddie. 

The  three  women  were  instantly  dumb; 
they  moved  apart  guiltily.  Each  fumbled 
in  her  mind  to  produce  a  common  place 
remark  which  uttered  loudly  might  take 
the  embarrassing  inference  out  of  their 
sudden  silence.  Mrs.  Vane  was  the  first 
to  get  hold  of  her  wits. 

"Miz  Tolman,  do  you  mind  if  I  set 
this  sack  of  cans  on  your  side  of  the  path 
for  today  while  I'm  cleaning — it's  so  in 
the  way  here  by  my  door?"  she  asked 
in  a  voluminous  voice. 

"Why,  certainly  not;  it  won't  bother 
me  in  the  least — not  at  all,"  the  young 
Mrs.  Tolman  took  her  cue  like  a  foot- 
lights veteran  and  said  her  line  slowly, 
resonantly  while  she  and  the  other  pro- 
testor, and  Caddie  V  watched  the  new 
tenants  file  up  the  back  stairs — the  loaf 
of  bread  and  half-filled  paper  sacks  the 
tenants  were  carrying  indicating  that  they 
had  been   to  the  corner  grocery. 

The  man  went  first  shuffling  uneasily, 


128 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


his  head  lowered,  his  hat  pulled  down,  a 
heavy  scowl  on  his  face.  He  was  a  thin 
sort  of  a  person  in  an  ill  fitting,  soiled, 
cheap  suit.  Behind  him  trailed  four  chil- 
dren in  the  order  of  their  size.  There  was 
a  boy  perhaps  ten  years  of  age  who  had 
defiant  blue  eyes  and  curly  blond  hair; 
he  slouched  alone  unconsciously  imitating 
his  father.  His  shoes  were  much  too  worn 
and  much  too  damp  to  encourage  a  pur- 
poseful step,  but  there  was  a  twitch  of 
disdainful  pride  in  his  shoulders  as  he 
passed  the  firing  squad  of  women  ranged 
at  the  back  door;  he  resented  evidently 
their  only  half-camouflaged  survey.  Next 
to  him  came  a  girl  probably  eight  years 
old,  closely  followed  by  one  not  more 
than  six;  both  were  pinched  and  grim- 
looking,  blue  with  cold,  and  not  dressed 
anywhere  near  in  keeping  with  the 
weather.  They  dropped  their  dark  heads 
under  the  inspection  of  their  neighbors  as 
their  father  had  done.  Lagging  behind 
was  a  baby  boy  who  had  scarcely  touched 
his  fourth  mile  stone.  Like  his  brother 
he  was  fair;  there  was  the  same  hint  of 
high  spirit  in  his  wide  open  eyes.  An 
undried  tear  clung  to  his  cheek  upon  which 
the  pink  of  babyhood  vied  with  the  blue 
of  cold.  His  smooth  lips  surprised  in  a 
cry  of  discomfort  remained  apart  in  an 
absent-minded  pout  as  only  half  won  from 
his  little  troubles  he  glimpsed  the  vexed 
women  and  with  the  others  sensed  their 
disapproval.  When  his  short  legs  had 
achieved  painfully  the  last  step  of  the 
staircase  he  flung  back  a  reproachful  glance 
before  the  small  procession,  vanished 
around  the  railing  of  the  upper  landing. 

"Ye  gods,  they  grade  up  like  steps! 
Doesn't  look  like  there  was  a  year  be- 
tween them."  moaned  the  outraged  Mrs. 
Vane. 

"It's  just  an  awful  pity,"  sighed  Mrs. 
Tolman. 

"They  looked  starved  and  frozen,  too," 
said  Carrie  V.  with  a  worry  wrinkle  be- 
tween her  brows;  "I  wonder  if  they  have 
a  fire  up  there?  I  haven't  seen  any  extra 
wood  or  coal  come;  I'd  better  slip  up  and 
offer  to  lend  them  some." 

"But  where  is  the  woman?"  Mrs.  Vane 
asked.     "She  seemed  to  be  the  whole  show 


when  she  got  them  settled  here  last  night. 
Oh,  dear,  so  important!  She'd  probably 
never  been  in  an  apartment  house  nearly 
so  nice  as  this  but  she  was  trying  to  pre- 
tend she  had.  Their  effects  were  a  bat- 
tered old  trunk  and  a  roll  of  ragged 
bedding." 

"I  don't  see  why  our  landlord  had  to 
fix  up  a  one-room  apartment;  he  might 
know  only  scum  would  take  one  room," 
grumbled  Mrs.  Tolman  mildly. 

"It's  a  large  room,"  suggested  Caddie 
V.  a  trifle  fidgety,  apprehension  in  her 
usually  merry  eyes. 

"But  why  didn't  he  leave  it  a  trap- 
room  as  it  was?"  Mrs.  Vane  protested. 
"We  need  it  for  odds  and  ends.  Who- 
ever heard  of  a  man  and  a  woman  and 
four  children  occupying  one  room!" 

"I  suppose  it  has  been  done  in  a  pinch," 
giggled  Caddie  V.,  trying  to  throw  some 
lightness  into  the  discussion. 

No  one  could  resist  Caddie  Vs.  little 
hints  of  humor;  Mrs.  Vane  was  forced  to 
smile  half  heartedly.  "Of  course,  in  the 
slums,  but  I  mean  among  civilized  folks." 

"I  suppose  the  landlord  thought  he  had 
to  have  something  more  coming  in,"  sug- 
gested Mrs.  Tolman  with  a  harmless  sneer 
on  her  pretty  mouth. 

"He'll  have  enough  'coming  in' — and 
trapesing  up  those  stairs,  now,  I'd  im- 
agine." slurred  Mrs.  Vane  laughing  a  little 
with  the  other  women  at  her  pun.  "I 
hope  he  happens  along  and  sees  them 
'coming  in'  some  day.  They'll  do  more 
damage  than  the  rent  will  pay  for.  It 
would  serve  him  right  if  they  broke 
through  the  stairs — foisting  them  on  us 
in  this  way." 

"He  didn't  put  them  in — guess  I'll  have 
to  'fess  up' — it  was  I,"  Caddied  V.  snick- 
ered infectiously,  the  twinkle  was  in  her 
eyes;  "take  it  out  on  me,"  she  rounded  her 
shoulders  so  comically  her  neighbors  began 
to  laugh.  They  lunged  toward  her  in  pre- 
tended anger  while  she  slyly  dodged.  "You 
see,  it  was  this  way,"  Caddie  affected 
her  habitually  jocular  manner  but  she 
stammered  a  little;  "when — when  the 
woman  came  last  night  she  said  she  had 
arranged  with  Mr.  Lander  to  take  the 
house  and  was  to  pay  me;   when  I  called 


CADDIE  TAKES  A   RISK 


129 


him  up  this  morning  he  said  she  hadn't 
seen  him.  I  told  him  she'd  paid  a  month 
in  advance,  so  he  said  for  me  to  let  her 
stay." 

"The  old  Shylock  to  inflict  us  for  that 
paltry  ten  dollars!  Well,  he  can't  put  any- 
thing over  on  me — why,  people  will  think 
this  is  a  slum  district;"  it  was  Mrs.  Vane 
speaking;  "when  Jim  comes  off  his  run 
we'll  move." 

"And  I'll  tell  Jack  this  very  night," 
vowed  Mrs.  Tolman. 

"Let's  you  and  I  go  house  hunting  to- 
morrow," Mrs.  Vane  suggested  to  Mrs. 
Tolman. 

"All  right."  Mrs.  Tolman  agreed. 
"What  time?" 

"About  three-thirty." 

"You  won't  move  until  after  Christmas, 
will  you?  It's  less  than  a  week,"  remon- 
strated Caddie  V. 

"You  bet  your  life  I'll  move,"  Mrs. 
Vane  was  inelegantly  vehement.  "I 
wouldn't  spend  Christmas  here  for  worlds 
— it  would  be  spoiled!  If  Lander  doesn't 
put  them  out  tomorrow,  out  I  go." 

"That's  my  baby  waking,"  cried  Mrs. 
Tolman  speeding  away  as  she  heard  the 
sleepy   wail  of   a   rousing   child. 

"I  must  run,  too,  my  bread  is  in  the 
oven,  and  maybe  burning,"  said  Mrs.  Vane 
likewise  vanishing  into  her  apartment. 

Caddie  V.  put  her  hand  over  her  chin 
as  she  always  did  when  disturbed  and 
slowly  climbed  the  stairs.  There  was 
ample  reason  for  her  perturbation.  Her 
conscience  pricked  her  because  she  had  not 
told  her  neighbors  the  whole  truth  about 
the  entrance  of  this  disturbing  element 
into  Rose  Terrace.  Bah;  she  was  not 
under  oath — she  consoled  herself;  only 
fools  tell  everything  they  know.  Besides, 
how  could  anyone  make  a  woman  like 
Mrs.  Vane  understand.  That  an  emotion 
of  compassion  could  intoxicate  a  person 
to  the  point  of  taking  unwarranted  privi- 
leges could  never  be  made  clear  to  Mrs. 
Vane.  Indeed,  if  Caddie  had  revealed  the 
telephone  conversation  she  had  with  the 
landlord  in  its  entirety,  she  reflected,  her 
case  would  have  been  lost  on  the  start.  As 
it  was  she  harbored  a  wild  hope  that  some- 
thing   would    happen    to    help    her.      She 


wanted  more  than  anything  to  shelter  these 
bedraggled  wayfarers  at  least  until  after 
Christmas.  She  had  a  little  fight  in  her, 
she  bragged  to  herself.  Wasn't  she  a  Lee? 
But,  of  course,  orders  were  orders.  The 
landlord  had  been  explicit.  If  the  worst 
came  to  the  worst  the  wanderers  must  go. 
Shrugging  her  shoulders,  Caddie  threw  the 
matter  figuratively  upon  the  lap  of  the 
gods.  She  would  take  no  steps  at  present; 
she  hadn't  the  heart  to  do  so.  "There  is 
a  destiny  that  shapes  our  ends — "  she 
quoted  philosophically  to  herself  and  went 
about  her  business  providing  wood  and 
coal  to  warm  the  new  tenants. 

"Thought  maybe  you'd  like  to  borrow 
some  fuel  until  your's  comes,"  she  said, 
sticking  her  head  in  at  the  trap-room  door 
and  grinning  in  neighborly  familiarity  as 
she  deposited  two  buckets  full  on  the  floor; 
"we've  plenty  and  your's  may  be  late 
coming."  She  closed  the  door  quickly, 
not  willing  to  notice  the  uncleanliness  that 
already  pervaded  the  room  she  had  only 
yesterday  surreptiously  cleaned  and  fur- 
nished. 

Yes,  swiftly,  twenty-four  hours  earlier, 
when  the  woman  had  appealed  to  her  for 
"even  a  tiny  spot  in  the  attic"  Caddie  had 
thought  of  the  trap-room,  had  figured  to 
herself  that  she  could  spare  her  sanitary 
couch  and  some  chairs,  had  remembered 
that  there  was  a  discarded,  rusty  cook 
stove,  a  set  of  shelves,  and  a  rickety  bed- 
stead in  the  basement,  and  had  said  in 
sheer  pity:  "We  might  be  able  to  house 
you  for  a  time." 

Encouraged  no  doubt  by  the  kindly 
lines  about  Caddie's  mouth  the  woman  had 
confided  that  she  was  "clear  desperate;" 
that  she  had  tried  every  place  advertised 
for  rent  in  the  city  and  could  not  get  in 
anywhere  on  account  of  the  children  and 
her  inability  to  pay  more  than  ten  dollars; 
that  her  children — four  of  them — were 
waiting  in  the  railroad  station  even  now. 
"If  we  could  only  stay  until  after  Christ- 
mas— "  she  had  pleaded.  Hence  while  her 
neighbors  were  shopping  Caddie  had 
quietly,  but  fearfully  cleaned  and  fur- 
nished the  room  and  let  the  stragglers  in. 
She  had  expected  to  be  able  to  explain  to 
the  .other    tenants — to    work    upon    their 


130 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


sympathies,  perhaps:  but,  alas,  Mrs. 
Vane's  wrath  and  indignation  had  dried 
the  fount  of  Caddie's  mentally  planned 
eloquence  before  it  had  started  to  flow. 
And  now  Caddie  (as  she  termed  herself) 
was  flabbergasted. 

Four  days  elapsed;  the  status  quo  of 
Rose  Terrace  remained  unchanged.  The 
small,  but  rather  pretentious  clinker  brick 
apartment  house  gave  no  sign  on  its 
brightly  painted  ornate  front  of  the  out- 
ward onslaught  of  December's  blizzards  or 
of  the  inward  attack  on  its  respectabality. 
Neither  Mrs.  Vane  nor  Mrs.  Tolman  had 
moved.  The  family  ensconced  in  the  one 
room  apartment  on  the  west  side  of  the 
upper  floor  was  still  toiling  up  and  down 
the  stairs  at  all  times  of  the  day  and  night. 

Caddie's  mother  was  becoming  more 
fretful  each  hour  declaring  that  she  would 
not  much  longer  endure  the  racket.  Mrs. 
Vane  had  spluttered,  fumed,  raged,  used 
every  expletive  of  anger  and  disgust  she 
could  recall  and  then  repeated  herself  until 
the  uselessness  of  it  all  had  set  her  lips 
in  a  thin  line  leaving  her  speechless  with 
impotence — a  travesty  on  the  lovely 
quality  of  forbearance.  Mrs.  Tolman  had 
echoed  the  storm  with  her  usual  amity 
and  forced  vehemence.  And  all  the  while 
Caddie  V.  had  tremblingly  waited — like 
Mecawber — for  something  favorable  to  her 
scheme  to  turn  up. 

The  reason  Mrs.  Vane  had  not  shaken 
the  snow  of  Rose  Terrace  from  her  feet 
was  that  Mr.  Vane  had  taken  over  a  four- 
day  run  of  a  fellow  railroader  who  was  ill. 
Mrs.  Tolman's  lover-husband — as  the  luck 
of  the  intruders  upstairs  would  have  it — 
was  sent  away  to  open  a  new  territory  for 
his  firm.  The  landlord  was  out  of  town, 
also,  no  doubt  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
evading  his  tenants;  he  must  have  guessed 
that  Caddie's  scheme  for  housing  some  of 
the  mid-winter  riff-raff,  and  incidentally 
adding  to  his  coffers,  would  not  be  ac- 
ceptable to  them.  Then  to  multiply 
coincidences  the  mother  of  the  unwelcome 
brood  of  the  upper  floor  (for  whom  Mrs. 
Vane  had  saved  the  bulk  of  her  wrath, 
slyly  presuming  that  she  could  force  the 
woman  out  by  a  strong  current  of  con- 
tempt)  had  not  been  seen  since  the  night 


she  dumped  her  piccaninnies  on  the  unap- 
preciative  neighborhood. 

Sunday,  however,  everything  was  pro- 
pitious for  a  climax.  Mr.  Vane  and  Mr. 
Tolman  were  in  their  respective  apart- 
ments, the  landlord  had  ventured  to  be 
"at  home,"  and  the  vanished  lady  had  been 
seen  late  the  night  before  mounting  the 
stairs  to  her  percarious  shelter. 

Also,  during  the  latter  part  of  the  four- 
day  typhoon  a  mystery  had  developed 
around  the  invaders,  which  had  proved  a 
slight  solace.  The  last  two  nights  the  man 
from  upstairs  had  been  heard  leaving  the 
house  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning;  and 
Mrs.  Vane  who  had  been  the  fortunate 
detective  had  actually  seen  him  return  at 
the  early  hour  of  four. 

"I'll  bet  they're  bootleggers;  if  they  are 
that  rogue  shall  not  escape  me,  I'll  lie 
awake  all  night  but  that  I'll  catch  him," 
Mrs.  Vane  told  her  tardy  protector  the 
moment  he  returned. 

Late  Sunday  afternoon  the  two  families 
from  down  stairs  went  up  to  Caddie  Vs. 
cozy  living  room;  they  surprised  and 
chilled  Caddie  to  the  heart  with  their 
first  words. 

"Well,  we've  come  to  say  good-bye; 
we're  going  in  the  morning."  Mrs.  Vane 
said  with  great  satisfaction.  "There  are 
two  empty  apartments  in  the  'Venice' 
which  we  can  get.  Mrs.  Tolman  and  I 
have  had  enough  of  this!" 

Caddie  V.  began  to  flutter  inwardly. 
Dear,  dear,  the  evil  hour  had  arrived! 
Nothing  had  saved  her — nothing  would. 
"The  landlord  will  put  them  out  as  soon 
as  he  finds  that  you  have  gone,"  she  pro- 
tested hardly  knowing  what  she  was  saying 
and  not  wishing  to  say  that  at  all. 

"It  will  serve  them  all  right — Lander 
and  those  imposters,  too,"  scored  Mrs. 
Vane. 

"It's  so  near  to  Christmas — it's  so  ter- 
ribly cold — the  snow  is  so  deep,"  deplored 
Caddie  V.,  breathlessly  trying  to  think. 

"It's  no  bother  for  us  to  move;  we 
keep  in  readiness — every  thing  is  fur- 
nished in  the  Venice,  you  know.  We'll 
just  call  a  van  for  our  trunks  and  a  taxi 
for  ourselves,"  declared  determined  Mrs. 
Vane. 


CADDIE  TAKES   A   RISK 


151 


Caddie  turned  inquiring  eyes  to  Mr. 
Vane. 

"Anything  that  pleases  the  Mrs.  is  O. 
K.    with   me,"    he   grinned   unconcernedly. 

Up  until  that  moment  Caddie  had  not 
despaired  but  now  all  hope  receded,  after 
all  she  would  have  to  put  these  wandering 
children  out  in  the  street.  Her  unsatisfied 
mother-heart  yearned  over  the  little  crea- 
tures. Time  and  again  the  baby  had 
brushed  against  her  skirt,  unconsciously 
courting  a  caress  and  she  had  patted  his 
blond  head  tenderly;  the  older  boy  had 
followed  her  with  wistful,  hungry  eyes;  the 
little  girls  had  lingered  near  her  as  long 
as  they  dared  whenever  she  had  spoken  to 
them;  she  had  seen  something  lovable  in 
each  one.  How  could  she  drive  them  out 
two  days  before  Christmas?  To  be  sure 
the  house  did  not  belong  to  her,  and  orders 
were  orders.  When  she  told  the  landlord 
what  she  had  done  he  had  said:  "Put 
them  out  at  once  if  the  down  stairs  ten- 
ants are  dissatisfied;  can't  have  those  two 
apartments  vacant  in  the  middle  of  the 
winter."  Caddie  knew  that  she  must  now 
confess  her  duplicity  and  tell  the  Vanes 
and  Tolmans  they  need  not  go.  She 
opened  her  mouth  to  speak  but  just  then 
the  door  to  the  trap-room,  which  was  next 
to  Caddie's,  was  suddenly  opened  and  the 
party  in  Caddie's  room  could  not  help 
hearing  what  went  on  in  there  for  the 
moment  or  two  in  which  alarm  and  some 
indefinite  sense  of  ill-being  held  them 
speechless. 

"Hello."  a  woman's  voice  exclaimed, 
sharply. 

The  man  growled;  the  children  all  be- 
gan talking  at  once.  "Mama,  what'd  you 
— Mama,  say  Mama,  whan — ."  Finally 
the  woman's  voice  rose  above  the  general 
murmur. 

"Don't  make  so  much  noise.  Can't  you 
remember  what  a  time  I  had  gettin'  a  place 
for  you  to  stay?  I  had  to  lie  to  get  in 
here;  nobody  wants  a  bunch  of  kids.  Now 
be  still  or  they'll  put  you  out.  Mary, 
what  are  you  crying  about?"  Mary's 
reply  was  too  low  to  be  heard;  the  wom- 
an's voice  continued;  "Hungry!  Good 
land.  Hen.  ain't  these  kids  had  no  supper? 
It  seems  like  all  I  hear  when  I  get  home  is 


that  they're  hungry.  Every  mouthful  I  eat 
up  there  pritty  near  sticks  in  my  throat 
when  I  think  of  these  younguns  down  here. 
— I  brought  a  few  cakes — here  kids." 

There  was  a  suppressed  sound  of  pleas- 
ure.  "Um,  um." 

"Don't  I  git  none?"  This  in  a 
grumbling  tone  from  the  man. 

"I  only  brought  four." 

"Dad  had  un,"  the  baby  protested 
wbiningly. 

"Dry  up." 

"What  does  he  mean?" 

"He's  a  bawl-baby." 

"Did  you  git  a  cake  and  not  give  tht 
baby  one?"  The  woman  seemed  deeply 
shocked  and  sorrowful. 

The  baby  began  to  tell  something  in  a 
loud  voice. 

"Dry  up,  will  you?" 

"Hen,  you  let  that  kid  be;  he's  only 
a  baby.  Ain't  you  got  no  patience?  My 
God!  I  wonder  if  there  was  ever  any  kids 
that  has  it  as  bad  as  mine?  A  man  ain't 
got  no  business  taking  care  of  kids — he 
ain't  got  no  patience." 

"They're  the  meanest  little  imps,"  the 
man  grumbled. 

"They  ain't  neither;  they're  good  kids," 
defensively. 

"Yes.  Mary's  a  good  one,  ain't  she? 
She    is    alius    tellin'    somethin'." 

"She  ain't  neither;  she  only  said  she  was 
hungry.  What  did  you  give  'em 
for  supper?" 

"They  each  had  a  hunk  of  bread — all 
they  was.  How  fur  do  you  think  a  dollar 
and   a   half   goes?" 

"Course.  I  had  to  pay  the  rent,  this 
week,  and  that  dollar  and  a  half  was  every 
cent  I  had  left.  Then  I  bet  you  went  and 
bought  your  old  coffee  out  of  that.  What 
these  kids  need   is  milk." 

"Milk!  Can't  drink  milk;  it's  like 
drinkin'  gold;  gotta  get  coal  out  of  next 
week's  pay;  can't  borry  of  this  lady  for- 
ever." 

"Gee.  I'll  be  glad  when  you  get  work 
again." 

"You  know  they  ain't  nothin'  for  a 
day  laborer  this  time  of  year — and  I  ain't 
well  yet.  neither.  They  ain't  a  heart  in  no- 
body these  days.      Everybody's  stuffed   up 


132 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


to  iheir  palates  till  they  ain't  got  no  pity; 
they'd  see  kids  starve  before  they'd  lift 
a  hand." 

"No,  folks  ain't  that  bad,  Hen.  Peo- 
ple is  pretty  good  hearted  when  they  know 
how  things  are.  But  who  wants  to  go 
around  asking  charity?  I  don't.  Well, 
we're  wastin'  time.  I  better  clean  this 
room  up  a  little — gotta  be  back  'fore 
seven.  But  if  you'll  come  for  me  again 
at  twelve — they'll  be  home  then — I'll 
come  back  and  finish  Sadie's  dress.  You'll 
have  to  take  me  back  at  two,  tonight,  I 
ain't  been  gettin'  enough  sleep — it's  a  good 
thing  my  room's  in  the  basement." 

"Are  you  comin'  home  for  Christmas?" 
one  of  the  children  piped. 

"Dear,  no;  I  gotta  cook  a  big  dinner 
up  there.  Can't  git  here  'fore  six — don't 
know  what  you  poor  kids  '11  do." 

The  children  began  to  sniffle  and  cry. 
"We  ain't  never  had  no  Christmas." 

At  this  point  there  was  stir  in  Caddie's 
room.  "I've  heard  enough,"  Jack  Tol- 
man  said  suddenly  and  at  his  words  all 
present  realized  that  they  had  been  listen- 
ing to  other  people's  affairs.  They  all 
looked  shame-faced. 

"I  suppose  if  we  move — "  began  Mrs. 
Vane,  evidently  very  much  subdued — 
we'd  add  to  their  troubles." 

"Multiply  them,"  Caddie's  twinkle 
came   through  a  mist. 

"Where's  our  toddler?"  Jack  Tolman 
asked  of  his- wife  with  a  tender  note  of 
solicitude. 

"Elva  and  Gale  have  him." 

"Yes,  and  I  suppose  the  girls  will  have 
dinner  ready,  too,"  Mr.  Vane  observed,  his 
face  thoughtful. 

None  of  them  spoke  of  the  pathetic 
drama  they  had  just  overheard.  The 
down  stairs  tenants  hurried  away.  Caddie 
V.  was  left  to  guess  at  their  reaction.  She 
decided  not  to  speak  but  she  waited  in  a 
fever  of  anxiety. 

The  next  day  no  moving  vans  ap- 
peared. Caddie  soon  began  to  feel  the 
Christmas  spirit  instead.  And  what  a  beau- 
tiful spirit  developed!  Everyone  seemed 
to  be  cherishing  a  zestful  little  secret.  All 
of  the  occupants  of  Rose  Terrace  had  plan- 
ned   to    spend    for    themselves    and    their 


friends  every  cent  of  their  pay  checks,  yet 
they  found  a  way  to  admit  the  famous 
guest  of  the  great  Day  of  Giving. 

Jack  Tolman  was  the  first  to  tiptoe  up 
to  Caddie's  door.  "My,  I  sure  'blowed' 
myself,"  he  told  Caddie  in  a  chuckling 
whisper;  "got  'em  a  turkey — that's  what 
I  used  to  long  for  when  I  was  a  kid. 
You're  such  a  marvelous  cook,  Caddie,  I 
thought  maybe  you'd  roast  it  and  present 
it;  I  wouldn't  know  how."  He  went 
away  all  smiles. 

Then  pretty  Mrs.  Tolman  came  pussy- 
footing up.  She  had  squeezed  enough 
from  her  budget  to  buy  a  tin  whistle  and 
a  top  for  the  baby,  and  a  jack  knife  for 
Harry.  "You  know,"  she  said  in  a 
gurgling  undertone,  "that  boy,  with  his 
blue  eyes  and  curly  hair  reminds  me  of 
Jack,  and  I'll  bet  he'll  make  something 
of  himself  like  Jack  has.  Don't  you  think 
he  will?"      She  was  all  kindness. 

Mrs.  Vane  went  in  for  mittens.  She 
was  quite  breathless  in  her  pleasure.  "I 
got  'em  at  a  bargain — taking  the  four 
pair — they're  real  wool.  And,  mercy,  I 
don't  know  what  those  children  need 
worse  than  mittens,"  she  emphasized  hap- 
pily to  Caddie  for  she,  too,  had  brought 
her  Christmas  offering  for  the  hapless 
family  up  to  Caddie's  door. 

The  Vane  girls  dressed  two  of  their 
old  dolls.  "We're  thrilled  to  tears,"  they 
giggled  under  their  breath,  wh^n  the)(' 
slipped  their  dolls  up  stairs  to  their  neigh- 
bor. "Don't  they  look  simply  darling?" 
both  asked  proudly,  exhibiting  their  handi- 
work. 

Even  Mr.  Vane  mounted  the  stairs. 
There  was  a  pleased  sparkle  in  his  eyes. 
"I've  interested  the  civic  center  people," 
he  explained  softly,  "and  they're  going 
to  send  coal  and  groceries  tonight.  I  have 
another  scheme  on  foot  for  them,  too,  if 
it  develops  as  I  am  planning — tell  you 
about    it    later." 

Caddie  V.  cooked  all  day.  She  made 
dough-nuts  and  raisin  bread  and  mince 
pie  until  the  upper  floor  smelled  like 
a  bakery  shop.  She  even  managed  to 
get  her  mother  excited  to  the  point  of  a 
benevolent  gesture.  "Here,  mother,  can't 
you   run    these   stockings   up   by   hand    for 


CADDIE  TAKES   A   RISK 


133 


me?"  She  cried  in  a  flutter  of  gaity 
as  she  produced  some  bright  red  and  green 
mosquito-bar  cut  into  four  pairs  of  stock- 
ings. "You  see.  I'm  going  to  fill  them 
up  with  candy  and  nuts  and  oranges  and 
hang  them  up  in  their  room.  Won't  that 
be  Christmasie?"  Caddie  was  deliciously 
thrilled,  she  had  done  this  same  thing  a 
thousand  times  in  her  mind  for  the  little 
ones  of  her  own  who  had  never  material- 
ized; it  seemed  just  about  as  good  to 
do   it  now   for  some    "of  these." 

"Yes,  it  will.  Caddie,  and  I'll  make 
the  stockings  for  you.  But,  my,  it  will 
bring   our   grocery   bill   up   out   of   sight." 

"Oh,  we'll  pinch  or  something  else; 
I'll  give  up  my  cocoa" — it  was  Caddie's 
one  extravagance — "and  I'll  make  the 
broom  last  until  February,"  she  pacified 
with  her  merry  twinkle. 

Christmas  day  every  one  in  the  Terrace 
went  up  to  the  one-time  trap-room  to 
see  how  the  "unfortunates"  were  enjoying 
the  great  occasion.  The  way  those  chil- 
dren were  stuffing  candy  and  nuts  and 
doughnuts,  and  carrying  around  turkey 
bones  was  both  comical  and  touching  to 
witness.  The  girls  hugged  their  dolls,  the 
baby  tooted  his  horn,  the  big  boy  whittled 
in  smiling  content.  Rose  Terrace  was 
vibrant.  Mrs.  Vane  was  particularly  happy 
and  volluble. 

"Hasn't  it  been  the  loveliest  Christ- 
mas?" she  gushed  to  Caddie.  "And  you 
know  Gail  and  Elva  have  a  lot  a  dresses 
we  can  make  over  for  those  little  girls 
during  the  holidays." 

Caddie  smiled.  Mrs.  Vane  was  evi- 
dently not  planning  to  leave. 

Towards  evening  the  mother  being  ex- 
pected everyone  assembled  to  wish  her 
Merry   Christmas.      When    she    came    and 


saw  everything  she  smiled  and  laughed  de- 
lightfully, of  course,  but  the  tears  trickled 
down  her  cheeks  in  a  stream. 

"Oh,  ain't  this  grand  for  my  poor 
kids,"  she  kept  saying.  Once  she  said 
to  her  husband,  "You  see,  Hen,  it's  like 
I  told  you.  people's  hearts  is  good  when 
they  know  how  things  are." 

The  climax  came  for  this  little  family 
— for  good  fortune  like  its  opposite  never 
comes  single — when  Mr.  Vane  rushed  up 
stairs  late  that  night  to  say  that  a  friend 
of  his  had  a  small  farm  near  town  with- 
out a  tenant;  there  was  not  much  work 
to  do  this  time  of  year — stock  and  poultry 
to  feed,  a  few  cows  to  milk — Mr.  Vane's 
friend,  therefore,  could  pay  only  a  small 
salary  but  there  was  everything  to  eat  on 
the  place,  milk,  cream,  eggs,  flour,  cured 
meat,  pitted  vegetables;  would  this  man 
like  to  take  the  place? 

The  man  said  he  would,  quickly 
enough,  grinning  for  the  first  time  since 
he  arrived  and  offering  the  information 
that  he  was  brought  up  on  a  farm  and 
liked  no  place  better. 

"I'm  so  pleased,"  the  woman  confided 
to  Caddie,  crying  a  little  for  joy;  "Hen 
ain't  a  bad  feller:  he's  good.  He's  only 
acted  this  way  since  he's  been  out  of  work, 
and  hungry  all  the  time,  and  had  to  take 
care  of  the  kids — a  man  ain't  got  no 
business  takin'  care  of  kids;  men  ain't 
got  no   patience. 

"An'  I  won't  never  forget  you  nor 
this  Christmas  if  I  live  a  thousand  years," 
she  went  on;  "it's  been  a  really  Merry 
Christmas."  and  the  look  she  gave  Caddie 
opened  the  door  to  the  kingdom — the 
kingdom  of  pure  joy — to  that  kindlv 
mother-heart. 
Pcovo.  Utah 


Gleams  of  Hope 


Dawn,  like  the  sun,  dispells  the  sad  gloom 
Displaying  the  morn,   and  scenting   its  bloom' 
Never  a  night  but  follows  a  day — 
Never  a  tear  that  won't  brush  away! 
Always  a  heart  to  cheer  you  and  fight — 
Crowning  with  peace  Love's  joyous  flight! 

WESTON   N.    NORDGRAN 


Child-Mother  Mary 

Child-Mother   Mary,    when   your  hour  had   come. 

And  in  your  arms  you  held  the  Infant  Son 

Who  had  been  sent 

To  change  the  vision  of  man's  earth-dimmed  eyes, 

And  pierce  the  gloom  of  Judah's  darkened  skies, 

With  light  that  should  grow  brighter  through  the  years; 

Above  the  joy  and  wonderment  of  this. 

In  that  first  hour,  did  you  know  aught  but  bliss 

Of  just  your  mothering? 

Child-Mother  Mary,  how  you  must  have  kissed, 

(E'en  as  would  I,) 

The  warm,  soft,   dimpled  fists  of  Him, 

And  fondled  and  caressed  His  wee,   pink  feet, 

As  willing  mothers  do! 

Methinks,  naught  but  a  Babe  divinely  sweet, 

Was  He,   the  Manger-cradled,   unto  you! 

And  when,  led  by  the  gleam  of  Bethlehem's  Star, 

The  Magi  came  to  you  from  lands  afar, 

To  worship  Him; 

Their  offerings  of  treasure  to  unfold — 

Gifts  of  Myrrh  and  frankincense  and  gold — 

Rare  votives  for  a  shrine, 

Did  your  mind  dwell  then,  even  as  has  mine. 

Upon  a  gift  of  more  intrinsic  worth — 

A  soul  brought  forth  through  miracle  of  birth? 

Child-Mother  Mary,  though  your  heart  was  riven. 

In  after  years,  when  'pon  the  Cross  was  nailed 

Your  Babe,  to  manhood  grown,  to  whom  was  given 

The  power  to  suffer  meekly  when  assailed 

By  mocking  fools; 

When  Golgotha's  Tragedy  was  ended 

For  Him,  your  Son, 

And  He  at  length  unto  the  Heavens  ascended 

The  lash,  for  you,  became  a  budding  rod. 

For  lo!  you  were  the  Mother  of  a  God! 

Grace  Ingles  Frost 


Larry  Larson,  Specialist 

By  Albert  R.  Lyman 

THE  clerk  showed  him  into  a  back  room  of  the  store  where  the 
manager  scowled  at  him  from  under  a  green  eye-shade  and 
a  mat  of  tousled  hair,  "Your  account  ain't  good  for  an- 
other dollar,"  he  growled,  without  waiting  to  hear  what  was 
wanted,  and  looking  as  if  he  might  bound  out  of  that  swivel  chair 
with  doubled  fist. 

"Well,  couldn't  you  give  me  something  to  do?"  Larson  falter- 
ed timidly,  "We're  clear  down  to  the  bedrock — 'bout  to  lose  the 
home,"  he  gulped  and  hesitated,  "I'm  ready  to  do  anything." 

"That's  just  it,"  snarled  Manager  Tompkins,  more  petulant 
than  ever,  "Anything!  You  can  do  one  thing  about  as  well  as 
another,  but  you  can't  do  anything  up  to  snuff.  We  have  to  kick 
these  men-of-all-work  out  of  the  way  every  day — we  can  have 
them  anytime  at  our  own  price.  They  get  mighty  little  when 
they  get  anything,  but  they're  generally  busy  in  the  ranks  of  their 
own  army — The  Unemployed.  Nothing  doing!  This  is  a  day 
of  specialists." 

With  new  despair  Larson  turned  back  for  the  street,  "I  neg- 
lected to  say,"  Tompkins  yelled  after  him  with  biting  fury,  "your 
account's  due  in  five  days,  and  we  expect  prompt  settlement." 

Five  days — and  it  would  be  just  six  days  till  Dixon  and 
Turner  would  take  the  little  home  and  lot,  allowing  him  nothing 
for  the  payments  which  had  covered  half  the  original  price.  And 
:he  shelves  of  the  little  pantry  were  bare,  the  flour-bin  almost 
empty!  The  vision  of  it  haunted  him.  He  knew  the  children 
had  been  hungry  two  days,  and  he  knew  Christeena  had  done  a 
neighbor's  washing  along  with  her  own,  trying  to  keep  it  a  secret 
from  him. 

Something  had  to  be  done — desperation  tugged  at  his  heart- 
strings. He  looked  down  at  his  shabby  suit  with  chilling  con- 
sciousness that  Christeena's  and  the  little  girls'  were  worse — they 
could  not  be  seen  outside  the  gate.  With  clenched  jaw  and  firm 
resolution,  he  stalked  into  the  office  of  Harmon  and  Brown. 

"No,  sir,"  protested  Mr.  Brown,  impatient  at  being  disturbed, 
"this  work  of  collecting  calls  for  special  preparation;  it  simply 
can't  be  done  by  just  anybody,"  and  turning  boldly  back  to  his 
pen  and  his  ledger  he  left  Larson  to  go  or  stand  there  gazing,  and 
he  made  his  way  to  the  street  feeling  like  a  dog  kicked  off  a  door- 
step. 


136  IMPROVEMENT   ERA 

This  made  fifteen  places  to  which  he  had  applied  in  vain, 
and  he  could  think  of  just  two  more  possibilities.  In  J.  M.  Wade's 
carpenter  shop  it  took  just  one  quick  glance  at  the  work,  and  one 
quicker  word  from  the  old  sorehead  who  bossed  the  job,  to  con- 
vince him  the  place  called  for  a  man  made  to  order.  The  whirr 
of  a  gasoline  band-saw  mocked  at  him  as  he  stumbled  back  to  the 
side-walk. 

At  the  gristmill  old  Jones,  dusty  and  disagreeable,  appeared 
from  a  stairway  and  gripped  his  long  beard  just  long  enough  to 
guess  what  was  wanted.  "We'll  have  no  greenhorn  a  ruining  this 
machinery,"  he  squeaked,  in  his  cracked  old  voice,  and  disappeared 
through  a  doorway. 

The  world  looked  darker  still  from  those  gristmill  steps  as 
Larson  descended.  Anyway,  he  could  milk  cows,  and  with  Peter- 
son's big  herd  in  the  edge  of  town,  he  could  at  least  report  special 
ability  for  something. 

"Nothing  so  primitive  here,"  blurted  young  Peterson,  supe- 
riorly, having  just  assumed  the  management,  "that's  done  by  elec- 
tric milkers.  My  kid  brother  has  specialized  in  that  line,  and  he 
oversees  it." 

A  sick  feeling  welled  up  in  Larry's  heart  as  he  turned  with- 
out a  ghost  of  encouragement  from  that  nineteenth  prospect.  The 
specialist  had  gobbled  everything!  Moping  dejectedly  along,  he 
saw  a  big  pile  of  wood  in  a  yard.  "Well,  after  all,  I  am  a  specialist 
at  chopping  wood,"  he  half  sobbed  to  himself,  with  humiliating 
sense  of  worthlessness,   "I've  chopped  it  and  stacked  it  up  by  the 

cord."  . 

"No,"  whined  Mrs.  Wilson,  in  the  nagging  tone  employed  tor 
her  whimpering  children,  "I  don't  want  this  yard  all  cluttered 
up  with  chips  and  trash.  Jim  Kelly  specializes  in  this  wood-cutting 
with  his  gasoline  saw,  and  he  gets  the  job." 

With  the  cries  and  protests  of  the  loving  young  Wilsons  grow- 
ing fainter  behind  him,  he  turned  with  heavy  foot,  and  heavier 
heart  towards  home.  Christeena  met  him  at  the  door,  and  she  un- 
derstood all  about  it  before  he  said  a  word.  If  she  had  seen  him 
through  the  window,  she  would  have  known  it  that  much  sooner. 
And  the  little  girls  knew  it:  they  all  saw  it  in  his  face  and  figure, — 
the  blight  of  it  went  through  the  little  home,  adding  darkness  to  the 
gloom.  On  the  wondrous  wireless,  over  which  souls  communi- 
cate without  speech,  the  whole  dismal  story  had  gone  to  them. 
From  him  they  had  already  got  the  scowl  and  the  growl  of  old 
Tompkins,  the  impatience  of  Brown,  the  snarl  of  Wade's  shop 
boss,  and  the  stings  and  cuts  of  twenty  heartless  refusals. 

Sinking  into  a  chair  he  leaned  dejectedly  forward,  his  face 
in  his  hands.     The  little  girls  came  quietly  near  to  him  and  began 


LARRY   LARSON,    SPECIALIST  137 

to  cry.  "What  will  become  of  us?"  moaned  Christeena,  leaning  on 
the  back  of  the  rickety  old  rocker. 

He  raised  his  head  to  meet  her  gaze  despairingly.  In  every 
line  of  her  lovely  face,  and  in  her  blue  eyes,  he  saw  perfect  love 
and  devotion  and  faith  in  his  clean  life.  If  he  mourned,  she  mourned; 
if  he  rejoiced,  she  rejoiced.  Whatever  his  emotion,  she  caught  it  by 
the  splendid  instinct  of  her  love  and  nourished  it  as  her  own.  He 
knew  she  had  no  better  dress  than  that  faded,  patched  gown  she 
wore;  and  he  knew  the  dear  little  girls,  with  staring,  inquiring  sym- 
pathy ail  over  their  faces,  wore  their  best,  their  only  covering. 

From  his  seat  there  in  the  kitchen  he  could  see  enough  of  the 
pantry  to  know  it  was  empty  as  his  own  stomach,  and  all  round 
him  he  saw  sad  traces  of  want.  The  front  room  and  the  bedroom 
showed  the  pinch  of  poverty,  and  his  yards  and  buildings  outside 
told  a  story  of  neglect — neglect  born  of  despair.  Six  weeks  with- 
out work,  and  no  prospect  of  anything  in  sight. 

When  they  retired  he  lay  thinking  with  a  prayer  to  God  for 
light;  ten  o'clock,  eleven,  twelve, — the  faithful  timepiece  tolled  off 
the  hour.  No  sleep,  but  a  panorama  of  twenty  refusals,  the  loss  of 
everything,  beggary.  Specialists!  The  unemployed!  The  clock 
struck  one,  and  still  he  paced  the  wide  and  dreary  field  of  his  re- 
flections and  found  nothing  on  which  to  hang  his  hopes. 

The  children  slept.  He  knew  by  their  heavy  breathing  they 
were  at  rest,  but  he  fancied  Christeena  had  gone  on  a  pilgrimage 
similar  to  his  own,  and  he  resolved  not  to  betray  his  own  unrest. 

Then  from  the  jungle  of  this  world  of  thought,  where  faces 
and  figures  of  the  past  day  peered  out  at  him  like  menacing  ghosts, 
a  shape  began  to  appear  with  unmistakable  promise.  When  the 
clock  struck  two,  he  knew  beyond  doubt  that  from  the  terrible  gloom 
something  had  really  taken  form,  had  enlightened  him  to  turn  the 
whole  fierce  tide  of  his  adversity.  All  lingering  possibilities  of  sleep 
departed  while  he  built  and  planned  and  refreshed  himself  in  visions 
of  glorious  achievement. 

With  the  first  gray  light  he  arose  and  began  a  general  clean-up 
of  his  yards  and  buildings,  getting  rubbish  ready  to  remove  or  to 
burn,  and  correcting  and  soothing  the  distressed  complexion  of  the 
premises.  In  every  turn  it  gave  him  pleasure,  for  now  he  had  a  plan 
— he  smiled  broadly  to  himself  as  he  contemplated  the  richness  of  it. 

Christeena  came  out  in  surprise,  "Why  I  thought  you  wouldn't 
do  a  tap  to  make  this  place  any  better  for  Dixon  and  Turner  since 
they're  going  to  take  it  away  from  us,"  she  began  in  the  discouraged 
tone  of  the  previous  evening. 

"Dixon  and  Turner  won't  turn  us  out.  Honey,"  he  assured 
her,  relying  on  the  invincible  plan  for  which  he  still  smiled  with 
rising  assurance. 


13  8  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

"Why  Larry,"  she  interrupted,  every  line  of  her  face  relaxing 
as  she  looked  in  his  eyes.  "What  is  it?  Tell  me  what  you've  found," 
she  pleaded  in  a  glad  ecstasy  of  expectation. 

"I  can't  tell  you  just  now,  Steenie,"  he  answered,  reassuringly, 
the  glad  light  of  hope  still  in  his  eyes  and  all  over  his  face,  "but 
our  affairs  are  to  change  for  the  better." 

"Oh,  I'll  try  to  find  something  for  breakfast,  and  clean  up  the 
house,"  she  bubbled,  new  music  in  her  voice,  and  new  spring  in 
her  motion  as  she  ran  up  the  steps.  From  the  kitchen  he  heard 
her  humming  an  old  love  song,  and  a  little  later  she  roused  the  chil- 
dren. "Oh,  come  and  get  up,"  she  called,  with  a  charm  in  her  voice 
which  she  knew  would  bring  them  out  like  magic  to  see  what  had 
happened.  "It's  a  beautiful  morning,"  she  told  them,  "the  birds 
are  singing  out  there  in  the  trees,  and  Papa's  fixing  up  the  place 
to  look  like  the  bishop's  place." 

Sure  enough,  here  came  the  little  girls  down  the  steps  in  their 
night-gowns,  looking  and  listening  for  the  glad  features  of  a  new 
world.  But  first  they  must  make  sure  their  Papa  was  to  be  in  it. 
and  coming  straight  to  him  they  looked  up  in  his  face. 

"Oh,  Papa!"  cried  Elsie  in  keen  delight,  for  he  was  really  a 
part  of  the  new  world,  maybe  the  biggest  part  of  it,  "isn't  it  nice 
this  morning?" 

"It's  sure  nice,"  affirmed  Lauritz  Larson  with  a  big  smile.  He 
stooped  to  kiss  the  little  girls,  drawing  them  to  him  while  he  rested 
a  minute,  and  he  observed  how  sweet  and  happy  is  the  world  of 
little  folks,  if  no  one  brings  an  unnatural  cloud  into  it. 

After  breakfast,  making  himself  as  presentable  as  possible,  he 
kissed  Christeena  and  the  children,  and  leaving  the  bright  reflex  of 
his  expectant  smile  on  their  faces,  he  headed  straight  for  the  office 
of  Harmon  and  Brown.  Through  the  window  he  saw  old  Harmon 
at  the  desk,  his  face  like  the  sky  before  a  storm.  When  he  straightened 
up  from  his  work  and  peered  over  his  glasses,  he  still  wore  the 
storm-cloud  expression,  but  suddenly  it  changed,  as  if  the  sun  had 
broken  through,  "Oh,  is  that  you,  Larry?"  he  demanded  in  pleasant 
surprise.     "You  seem  to  feel  mighty  good  about  something." 

"I  admit  it,"  Larson  agreed,  beaming  as  if  about  to  relate  that 
he  had  found  a  gold  mine,  and  old  Harmon's  mouth  dropped  in 
eager  anticipation.  "But  in  spite  of  that,"  Larry  added,  taking  full 
account  of  the  old  man's  expectancy,  "I'd  like  to  do  some  collecting 
for  you  on  commission." 

"Collect?"  queried  the  old  man,  scratching  his  head  absently. 
"What's  the  other  thing  you  was  about  to  tell  me?" 

"That'll  be  more  appropriate  to  tell  when  I  bring  in  the  cash 
you're  wanting,"  Larry  suggested,  still  appearing  almost  too  full 
of  the  pleasant  secret  to  keep  it  in.     "What  do  you  say?" 


LARRY    LARSON.    SPECIALIST  139 

Plainly  the  rift  in  the  clouds  was  unusual,  such  a  glad  break 
in  the  monotony  of  the  old  man's  dismal  life,  he  had  no  tendency 
to  refuse.  "The  job's  yours,"  he  cackled,  making  smile-wrinkles 
across  the  old  frown-furrows  in  his  face,  and  revealing  some  long 
teeth,  "But  I've  sure  got  to  hear  that  story.  Be  here  at  ten  and  the 
list  and  terms  will  be  ready." 

With  the  broad  smile  of  his  assurance  almost  rippling  away 
on  the  air,  he  resolved  to  see  Manager  Tompkins.  To  that  same 
back  room  a  clerk  conducted  him.  and  the  same  scowl  appeared  under 
the  green  shade  and  the  tousled  hair.  But  the  scowl  softened,  the 
eyes  opened  in  surprise.  "What  the — "  staggered  old  Tompkins, 
smiling  against  his  intentions,  though  Larson  had  simply  beamed 
down  on  him  with  bi°  kindness  and  not  a  word.  "I  was  afraid  you 
wouldn't  come  back — I  wanted  to  apologize  as  soon  as  you  went 
out." 

'"Sail  right,  no  apology  called  for,"  Larry  declared,  still  hold- 
ing to  the  thing  the  manager  wanted  to  know. 

"But  a —  what's  the — " 

"I  can't  tell  it  just  now,"  Larson  asserted,  the  light  of  it  still 
radiating  from  his  face,"  but  it  leaves  me  feeling  appreciative  of  the 
friends  who  trusted  me  while  I  was  up  against  it,  and  I  want  to  give 
them  first  chance  at  my  trade." 

His  reference  to  those  who  had  trusted  him,  brought  a  blush 
to  the  manager's  face.  "See  here,  Larry,  he  pleaded,  "I'd  be  delighted 
to  have  you  go  in  there  and  get  whatever  you  want,  and  take  your 
own  time  to  pay  for  it.  Oh,  I  can  see  you're  not  under  necessity 
as  you  were  yesterday,"  he  urged,  noting  in  Larson's  face  the  cer- 
tain light  of  some  splendid  assurance,  "but  if  you'll  do  it,  I'll  feel 
better." 

"Well,  I  didn't  intend  to  do  it  in  just  that  way,"  Larry  ven- 
tured, scratching  his  head,  "but  if  that's  what  you  really  want,  I'll 
do  it." 

"Good,"  declared  the  manager  with  relief,  "and  whenever  you 
feel  like  it,  I'd  be  delighted  to  hear  what  has  happened.  And  say," 
he  brightened  with  a  sudden  memory,  "you  wanted  to  work  for  us," 
and  then  darkening,  "but  I  guess  you  won't  do  that  now." 

"I  would  like  to  work  here  with  you  folks,"  Larson  declared,  in 
tones  of  appreciation,  "but  I  am  to  be  engaged  with  other  things." 

At  nine  o'clock,  with  an  armful  of  parcels,  Larry  met  Christeena 
at  the  door.  "Oh,  I  expected  to  have  more  of  this  done  before  you 
came,"  she  half  apologized,  reflecting  again  the  bright  assurance  of 
his  face,  and  over  her  shoulder  he  saw  the  house  had  already  under- 
gone a  great  change  in  appearance. 

"Well,  since  I  have  to  go  back,  I'll  not  do  it,  and  you  may  still 
get  it  done  before  I  come,"  he  said,  kissing  her.  and  dropping  the 


140  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

bundles  in  her  apron.  "I  have  work  waiting  for  me,  and  may  not 
be  back  till  evening." 

"Oh,  Larry,"  she  gasped,  her  joy  shining  through  big  tears  in 
her  blue  eyes,  "do  tell  me  about  it — how  did  it  happen?" 

But  Larry  smiled  and  kissed  her  again.  "Have  a  good  supper 
ready  for  us,"  and  turning  with  big  strides  he  made  for  the  office 
of  Harmon  and  Brown. 

When  old  Harmon  handed  out  the  papers,  his  look  still  plead- 
ing for  the  story  back  of  Larson's  smile,  there  appeared  on  the  list, 
among  others,  Wade's  carpenter  shop,  Hyrum  Jones,  the  miller; 
Junior  Peterson  of  the  dairy,  and  Mrs.  Jake  Wilson.  The  new 
collector  decided  to  visit  these  first. 

Wade's  boss,  black  with  tar  but  blacker  with  chronic  ill  temper, 
crawled  out  from  the  oily  machinery  of  a  band-saw  as  pleasant  as 
a  starving  grizzly.  "Wha'  ja  want?"  he  growled,  still  glaring  at 
some  disorder  in  the  coggs,  but  when  the  answer  failed  to  come  as 
he  expected,  he  threw  his  glance  threateningly  up  to  the  visitor's 
face,  "Oh — that  you,  Larson?"  he  stammered,  apologetically,  with 
something  resembling  a  smile  visible  through  the  tar  and  scowls,  "T 
— er — let's  see,  do  you  want  to  work  for  us?" 

"Well,  I  would  have  liked  to  work  with  you  fellows,"  he  af- 
firmed, beaming  all  over  with  the  glad  assurance  that  he  had  some- 
thing a  thousand  times  better,  "but  I  ran  into  something  else." 

"What  is  it?"  the  boss  asked,  dropping  his  wrench  and  straight- 
ening up  like  a  boy  expecting  to  be  told  where  to  find  a  litter  of 
new  puppies. 

"I  may  tell  you  sometime,"  the  new  collector  answered,  fairly 
itching  with  the  charm  of  it,  "but  for  the  present  I  am  here  on  quite 
different  business." 

The  sight  of  the  bill,  a  large  one,  was  the  very  thing,  ordinarily, 
to  stand  the  grizzly  bear  on  his  haunches  in  defiance  of  everybody, 
but  looking  from  it  to  Larson's  face,  he  had  to  reflect  Larson's  smile, 
just  as  you  have  to  register  prevailing  heat  or  cold  whether  you  want 
to  or  not. 

'"Sail  right,"  he  chuckled,  rather  contrary  to  some  hateful  re- 
solve, '"san  honest  debt,  'n  I'll  pay  it  right  now,  seein'  it's  you 
askin'  for  it,  but  it's  a  good  thing  for  ol'  Harmon  and  Brown  they 
didn't  come  theirselves." 

"But  say — "  he  pursued  in  an  undertone,  two  minutes  later, 
handing  over  the  check,  and  looking  the  new  collector  in  the  eye, 
"what  the  dickens  has  struck  you,  anyway?" 

"You'll  probably  hear  about  it,"  and  Larry  smiled  all  the 
more,  "but  for  the  present  I'm  much  obliged  for  this  prompt  settle- 
ment— I'll  remember  it  in  your  favor." 

When  old  Hyrum  Jones  appeared  like  a  ghost  on  the  stairs, 
Larson  caught  his  eye  in  time  to  forestall  any  wrong  start,  "What's 


LARRY   LARSON.    SPECIALIST  141 

the  good  news?"  piped  the  old  man,  brightening,  "Look  like  you 
might  just  fallen  heir  to  a  fortune." 

"Maybe  I  have,"  the  new  collector  admitted,  seeming  to  roll  his 
rich  secret  under  his  tongue,  "but  just  now  it's  my  misfortune  to 
present  you  this  bill." 

Jones  scrutinized  it  carefully,  debating  whether  to  pay  or  de- 
lay. Looking  up  at  Larry's  face  he  smiled  involuntarily.  "I'd 
sure  like  to  know  what's  come  to  ye,"  he  squeaked,  stroking  his 
dusty  beard.  Getting  no  answer,  he  looked  again  at  the  bill,  "Does 
it  matter  to  you  personally  whether  I  pay  this  now  or  later?" 

"If  you  pay  now,  it  will  confirm  my  judgment,  for  I  have  you 
rated  with  safe  and  prompt  settlement." 

With  the  check  in  his  pocket  he  went  straight  from  the  mill  to 
Peterson's  dairy,  and  found  Junior  bossing  a  clean-up  of  the  stables. 
At  first  the  young  dairyman  waxed  very  superior,  but  getting  a 
straight  look  into  Larson's  eyes,  he  paused  in  the  middle  of  a  high- 
flown  statement  of  business,  "You're  just  kidding  me,"  he  pro- 
tested, blushing  that  this  pretended  job-hunter  should  lead  him  on 
to  crow,  "you've  got  something  up  your  sleeve,  really — I  guess  I 
misunderstood  you — say,  you  didn't  fall  heir  to  this  mortgage?"  and 
Junior  turned  pale  with  the  thought. 

"Not  exactly,"  smiled  the  new  collector,  looking  as  if  he  had 
become  heir  to  something  even  better,  "and  I'm  not  kidding  you  at 
all.  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  are  so  prosperous,  not  only  because  you 
deserve  it,  but  it  will  enable  you  to  settle  with  Harmon  and  Brown, 
whom  I  am  representing. 

With  good-natured  evasions  of  the  thing  Peterson  wanted  very 
much  to  discuss,  he  departed  with  the  check,  leaving  the  young  dairy- 
man trying  to  guess  what  strange  turn  Larson's  affairs  had  taken. 

From  Mrs.  Wilson  he  collected  half  the  account,  got  definite 
promise  of  the  rest  in  ten  days,  refused  the  invitation  to  chop  her 
wood-pile,  and  pleasantly  dodged  her  one  leading  question.  He  made 
easy  work  of  the  others  whom  he  still  had  time  to  visit  that  day,  col- 
lecting from  most  of  them. 

At  the  office  he  found  Brown  in  the  swivel  chair,  apparently 
in  bad  humor  over  the  accounts.  The  junior  partner  roused  up  with 
something  on  his  lips,  but  he  refrained,  and  his  eyes  brightened,  "Oh 
— you,  Larson — Harmon  was  telling  me  that  something — "  but 
when  the  new  collector  put  the  day's  collection  on  the  desk  before 
him,  he  appeared  non-plussed.  "Well,  by  George — Harmon  tried  to 
tell  me — er — well  I'll  declare." 

At  the  door  of  his  home  Larry  met  Christeena  beaming  with  joy 
and  hope.  Back  of  her  beamed  the  little  girls,  and  every  room  and 
the  front  yard  beamed  likewise.  After  that  delightful  supper,  the 
morning's  work  was  taken  up  again  in  the  yards,  and  it  went  on 
from  daylight  till  breakfast  time  next  morning. 


142  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

Passers-by  were  overheard  that  day  to  say,  "He's  fallen  heir 
to  something,  look  at  the  change." 

But  the  change  became  more  pronounced.  He  settled  in  full 
with  Tompkins,  while  the  old  manager  protested  the  settlement 
was  too  soon  to  be  acceptable.  He  satisfied  the  demands  of  Dixon 
and  Turner  in  ample  time,  in  fact  he  paid  the  last  intallment  before 
it  fell  due. 

Just  what  had  really  happened  became  the  speculation  of  the 
town,  though  everybody  knew  something  wonderful  had  fallen  into 
Larry  Larson's  hands;  that  could  be  plainly  seen  in  his  face,  in  his 
life  and  affairs,  the  appearance  of  his  beautiful  wife  and  happy 
children.  Everybody  sought  his  company,  so  pleasant  and  agree- 
able, so  sympathetic  to  the  poor  and  unfortunate. 

From  every  quarter  individuals  and  companies  asked  for  his 
expert  service,  and  Harmon  and  Brown  raised  his  allowance  liberally 
for  fear  they  would  lose  him.  Bishop  Robison  wanted  him  to 
collect  some  delinquent  assessments  for  the  new  meeting  house.  "I 
know  you're  a  busy  man,"  apologized  the  bishop,  "and  I  can't  afford 
any  commission,  but  the  work  requires  a  specialist,  and  we  have 
very  few  men  able  to  do  it."     Larry  did  it. 

The  Relief  Society  wanted  a  specialist  to  arrange  terms  with  a 
contracting  concern,  and  they  sent  a  committee  to  induce  Larson  to 
undertake  it.  He  made  the  desired  terms.  He  became  the  successful 
teacher  in  an  M  Men's  class,  for  which  the  president  had  sought  a 
specialist  as  the  only  hope  of  dealing  with  the  hoodlum  element. 

A  committee  of  the  town  requisitioned  his  services  to  super- 
intend a  reception  for  the  governor,  and  they  thought  the  reception 
was  better  than  any  other  man  could  have  arranged  it.  Contending 
brethren  brought  their  difficulties  to  him  for  settlement,  and  smiled 
pleasantly  over  the  happy  compromise  he  suggested.  Even  con- 
templated law  suits  yielded  to  the  smiles  of  his  persuasion,  and  he 
left  behind  him  a  wide  trail  of  good  will  wherever  he  went.  The 
old,  the  sick,  the  discouraged,  and  people  who  had  been  soured  on 
life  in  general,  camped  on  his  trail,  and  waited  in  ambush  to  way- 
lay him  wherever  possible.  And  always  he  smiled  at  them  or  gave 
a  kind  word,  a  hand-shake  or  a  caress,  and  they  caught  the  mysterious 
cheer  of  his  inheritance  and  found  new  courage. 

And  the  little  folks,  particularly  the  unfortunate  and  the  un- 
happy, feasted  on  Larson's  smiles,  and  their  troubled  little  hearts 
swelled  big  with  joy  under  the  spell  of  his  words  and  his  caresses 
wherever  he  found  them. 

Companies  and  corporations  paid  well  for  his  special  powers 
as  an  operator  among  men.  The  president  of  the  great  merchandising 
company,  which  had  employed  Tompkins  as  manager  of  one  of  their 
stores,  made  a  trip  to  that  part  of  the  country  for  the  sole  purpose 


LARRY   LARSON.    SPECIALIST  143 

of  making  Lauritz  Larson  the  new  manager,  by  outbidding  every 
other  industry  on  his  trail.  And  Tompkins,  surprised  and  humiliated, 
asked  to  be  a  clerk  under  the  new  manager,  assuring  him  the  en- 
lightenment of  the  whole  affair  would  make  the  old  manager  a  better 
clerk  than  he  had  been  a  manager. 

The  new  manager's  home  and  yards  were  the  pride  of  a  wide 
neighborhood,  a  telling  impetus  in  every  direction  for  similar  im- 
provements at  other  homes.  And  his  mysterious  inheritance,  or  rich 
find,  or  unusual  discovery,  whatever  it  could  be,  bred  smiles  and 
pleasant  expectation  with  all  who  knew  of  it,  as  if  they  were  to  be 
joint  heirs. 

Even  though  this  change  had  been  due  to  misfortune,  instead  of 
to  happiness,  and  the  secret  of  it  had  been  withheld  from  her,  faith- 
ful Christeena  would  have  forgiven  Larry's  failure  to  tell  her  what 
brought  it  about.  Yet  she  still  wished  very  much  to  know  how 
it  happened.  But  old  Harmon,  the  now  pleasant  clerk,  Tompkins, 
and  even  Wade's  once  disagreeable  boss,  insisted  they  had  been  prom- 
ised an  account  of  the  whole  thing  in  due  time,  and  they  united  in 
declaring  the  time  had  arrived. 

To  compel  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  without  further  de- 
lay, they  planned  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  a  special  increase  in 
business  which  had  come  to  the  two  firms  as  a  direct  result  of  Larry's 
efforts.  They  announced  a  banquet  of  the  town,  promising  as  the 
special  feature,  that  Manager  Larson  would  tell  the  story  of  his 
mysterious  inheritance  several  years  before. 

When  the  moment  arrived,  and  he  appeared  at  the  head  of  the 
great  hall,  filled  with  beaming  friends,  he  met  a  deafening  applause, 
and  then  the  old  clock  grew  loud  on  the  wall  as  they  listened.  His 
face  showed  unmistakably  that  wonderful  fortune  had  come  to  him. 
and  it  was  a  face  everybody  loved. 

"My  dear  friends,"  he  began.  "The  wondrous  fortune  to 
which  I  fell  heir  on  that  mysterious  night  in  June  is  no  more  for  me 
than  for  you.  I  retired  heartsick  to  bed,  and  lay  awake  till  dawn, 
nursing  the  wounds  and  bruises  of  dark  misfortune.  I  was  facing 
ruin — beggary.  I  had  been  shown  out  or  kicked  out  of  every  place 
to  which  I  applied  for  employment,  and  was  told  in  every  case  that  it 
is  only  specialists  who  may  enter  the  contest  for  existence.  In  an- 
swer to  my  prayer  I  received  the  light  that  taught  me  to  become  a 
specialist, — no  matter  how  long  it  should  take,  or  what  the  cost.  I 
canvassed  the  field  carefully  to  determine  what  was  most  in  demand, 
and  through  faith  I  saw  that  nothing  was  needed  more,  and  noth- 
ing could  be  a  surer  winner,  than  a  specialist  in  smiles.  From  that 
moment  I  bent  every  effort  to  become  a  smile  specialist,  and  the  love- 
hungry  world  followed  me  eagerly  from  the  very  beginning.  Be- 
come specialists,  my  dear  friends,  and  you  are  joint  heirs  with  me." 

Blanding.  Utah 


Tithe  of  the  Land 


By  Mrs.  Ida  W.  Brown 


As  Madge  Petty  viewed  the  autumn 
world  with  its  scalloped  horizon  from  her 
mountain  home,  it  seemed  to  her  that  a 
benign  peace  had  settled  over  all  the  uni- 
verse; as  if  Mother  Nature,  knowing 
that  her  bountiful  crops  were  garnered,  had 
heaved  a  great  sigh  of  relief  and  said: 
"Well,  that's  that.  Now  for  a  little 
rest." 

And  at  her  command  storms  and  winds 
and  all  the  elements  of  turmoil  had  ceased. 
The  flood  of  silvery  sunshine  spilling  from 
heaven  only  seemed  to  accentuate  that  per- 
vading peace.  Everywhere  was  peace  and 
tranquility — and  subdued  sounds  like 
prayers  of  thanksgiving.  No  wonder 
Madge  lifted  her  eyes  to  the  blue-vaulted 
sky  as  she  murmured:  "God,  I  thank  thee." 

But  uttering  thanks  did  not  put  Madge's 
mind  in  complete  accord  with  the  autumn 
world.  A  little  riffle  of  disquiet  was  in 
her  mind — a  sense  of  guilt.  Ten  years 
Madge  and  her  husband,  Wilbur  Petty, 
had  lived  on  Mountain  View  Ranch.  Each 
year  their  crops  had  been  up  to  their  ex- 
pectations. The  land  had  yielded  abun- 
dantly; and  yet  not  once  had  they  given  a 
tithe  to  the  Lord. 

Madge  had  always  been  more  than 
willing  to  have  given  that  tithe,  but  Wil- 
bur always  had  said  that  they  had  little 
enough  without  paying  tithes. 

Madge  realized  that  salvation  came  not 
by  merely  saying.  "Lord,  Lord,"  but  by 
serving  and  being  willing  to  keep  every 
commandment  that  was  given.  Wilbur  let 
farm  work  fill  his  days  and  mind  and 
thought  little  or  nothing  about  salvation. 

And  now  viewing  this  glorified  autumn 
world,  with  its  bright  splashes  of  red  and 
gold.  Madge  felt  that  she  and  her  husband 
were  guilty  of  cheating  the  Lord. 

What  could  she  do  about  it? 

Nothing,  perhaps.  Just  one  of  those 
unsolvable  problems.  And  yet  at  school 
Madge  had  loved  knotty  problems — she 
had    liked    nothing    better    than    a    brain 


twister.  But  this  problem  that  affected 
their  lives  now  and  throughout  all  eternity, 
she  had  cast  to  one  side  without  much  of 
a  struggle  to  solve  it.  Madge's  chin  went 
up  and  a  light  of  determination  shone 
in  her  brown  eyes  as  she  went  into  the 
house.  For  several  hours  thereafter  she 
busied   herself   with   pencil   and   paper. 

When  Wilbur  came  in  at  night  after 
having  carefully  attended  to  all  the  needs 
of  the  farm  stock,  his  wife  met  him  at 
the  door. 

"Let's  go  for  a  ride,  just  anywhere  to 
be  out  in  the  air." 

Wilbur  hesitated.  "If  I  had  one  o'  them 
— there  radio's,  I'd  tune  in  on  PQS  or 
some  other  fool  station,  an'  you  an' 
Russell  could  go  ridin'.  Stickin'  to  a 
sulky  all  day  a  person  gets  enough  ridin'." 

"Where's  your  radio?"  laughingly 
inquired  Madge. 

"I'm  goin'  to  have  one  alright  an'  that 
before  long."  announced  Wilbur,  as  they 
walked  toward  the  car. 

Eight-year-old  Russell  moved  to  the 
middle  of  the  front  seat  and  patted  each 
side  as  an  invitation  to  his  parents  to  join 
him.' 

Madge's  eyes  seemed  never  to  tire  in 
their  search  for  beauty,  and  as  they  drove 
along  she  pointed  them  out  to  her  husband 
and  son. 

The  irregular  plots  of  grain  stubble  in- 
termingled with  the  gray  of  sage  made  the 
mountain  look  like  a  giant  with  a  crazy- 
patch  quilt  over  his  lower  extremities,  in 
her  eyes. 

Wilbur  smiled  at  this  comparison  but 
after  several  seconds  of  careful  scrutiny. 
Russell  shouted:  "Where's  the  giant's 
head.   Ma?" 

"Oh.  he's  a  headless  giant.  Can't  you 
see  his  shoulders,  one  a  little  above  the 
other?" 

"Yes,  siree,"  agreed  Russell  and  his  grey 
eyes  were  bulging  and  bright  from  his 
pleasant  imaginings. 


TITHE  OF  THE  LAND 


143 


When  they  were  getting  ready  for  bed 
Wilbur  again  spoke  about  the  radio,  ex- 
pressing a  determination  to  have  one  before 
winter. 

"You're  goin'  down  to  Salt  Lake  for 
conference,  you  can  look  for  one  down 
there.     An'  be  sure  to  get  a  good  one." 

But  when  Madge  came  home  from  con- 
ference she  had  failed  to  buy  a  radio. 

"I  just  couldn't  decide  on  one  without 
you  along."  she  said,  as  she  met  the  in- 
quiring depths  of  her  husband's  gray  eyes 
searching  her  own.  "We'll  have  to  go 
down  together,  or  you  can  go  down  and 
get  one  yourself.  I  just  don't  know  any- 
thing about  radios." 

Wilbur  showed  his  disappointment  but 
Madge  was  thinking  about  a  certain  flat 
parcel  in  the  bottom  of  her  suit  case  that 
had  taken  up  a  great  part  of  her  time 
while  she  was  in  Salt  Lake  Citv. 

That  evening  she  removed  the  paper 
wrappings  and  took  that  flat  something 
to  her  bedroom.  She  hung  it  on  the  wall 
opposite  the  head  of  their  bed  and  where 
the  first  rays  of  morning  sunlight  would 
strike  it.  Then  she  stood  off  and  surveyed 
it  with  a  pleasant  smile.  The  black  let- 
tering stood  out  in  sharp  contrast  to  the 
rose  and  gold  of  the  frame.  From  the 
head  of  the  bed  she  could  easily  read  it: 
"The  world  is  mine,  and  the  fulness  there- 
of."    Psalm  50:12. 

"And  all  the  tithe  of  the  land,  whether 
of  the  seed  of  the  land,  or  of  the  fruit  of 
the  tree,  is  the  Lord's."     Lev.  27:30. 

After  Madge  had  read  she  lifted  her  eyes 
and  asked  in  silent  prayer  that  the  message 
of  this  card  might  find  lodgment  in  her 
husband's  heart. 

The  next  morning  Madge  slipped  out 
of  the  bed  before  her  husband  was  awake. 
She  raised  the  blind  so  that  the  morning 
light  was  full  upon  the  black  lettering  of 
the  card. 

She  had  not  started  breakfast,  but  was 
watching  the  great,  golden  sun  rise  slowly 
over  the  eastern  mountains  when  her  hus- 
band joined  her.  He  stood  in  silence,  until 
the  sun  had  cleared  the  mountain  rim, 
as  if  awed  by  the  tremendous  beauty  re- 
vealed before  him.  Something  of  awe 
was  in  his  voice  as  he  inquired: 


"Did  you  have  them  verses  framed  fer 
my  benefit?" 

Brown  eyes  met  gray  eyes  fearlessly  be- 
fore she  answered:   "Yes:  and  mine,  too." 

Then  she  turned  her  eyes  to  the  valley 
below  with  shafts  of  sunlight  searching  out 
its  beauty  as  she  continued:  "I  love  to 
think  of  this  earth  as  belonging  to  the 
Lord,  and  of  him  as  the  generous  Land- 
lord who  has  not  ousted  his  tenants  when 
they  have  refused  to  pay  their  rent,  time 
and  time  again." 

She  turned  to  him  with  a  bright  smile: 
"He  left  it  all  in  our  hands,  we  can  pay 
him  what  is  due,  or  we  can  cheat  him — 
just  as  we  please." 

Before  he  could  answer  her,  she  had 
gone  tripping  toward  the  back  door.  The 
rattle  of  tins  in  the  kitchen  came  to  him 
before  he  moved  off  toward  the  barn- 
yard. 

Each  morning  while  Wilbur  lay  yawn- 
ing and  blinking  himself  in  wakefulness, 
he  read  the  verses  on  the  opposite  wall. 
And  each  day  as  he  sat  on  the  sulky 
plough,  in  the  clean,  autumn  sunlight, 
these  verses  echoed  and  re-echoed  through 
his  thoughts.  Although  in  his  mind  he 
argued  against  them  and  tried  not  to  think 
of  them,  he  failed. 

There  was  something  in  the  bright, 
painted  beauty  of  autumn  that  compelled 
him  to  appreciate  the  earth  and  its  Creator, 
and  the  rythm  of  those  verses  was  like 
a  murmured  hymn  of  praise.  He  began 
to  realize  that  it  was  a  fair  demand  the 
Lord  had  made  of  the  peoples  of  the  earth. 
The  truth  began  to  dawn  before  his  vision 
that  one-tenth  was  a  paltry  thing  to  pay 
in  exchange  for  being  able  to  be  a  par- 
taker in  the  earth's  production  and  beauty. 
Beauty.  It  seemed  to  be  a  thing  that  one 
could  not  live  and  escape — this  autumn 
world  was  full  of  it.  and  the  sun  spraying 
it  with  silvery  sunbeams,  added  to  its 
glory. 

But  suddenly  the  sun  seemed  to  have  lost 
its  light  and  the  earth  its  beauty  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Mountain  View  Ranch.  For 
one  night  in  the  first  week  of  November 
Russell  came  home  from  school  and  with- 
out speaking  to  his  mother,  staggered  to 
his   bedroom    and    fell   across   the   bed.      A 


146 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


hasty  examination  of  him  revealed  the  fact 
that  his  little  boy  was  burning  with  fever. 
Doctor  Fosby,  from  a  nearby  town,  was 
hastily  called  and  gave  out  the  dread  de- 
cision:   "Scarlet  fever." 

Followed  frenzied  days  and  sleepless 
nights  for  Madge  and  Wilbur.  Through- 
out the  house  was  the  smell  of  disinfect- 
ants, and  daily  the  number  of  bottles  in- 
creased  on  the  oblong  table  by  Russell's 
bed. 

On  Thanksgiving  day  Doctor  Fosby 
called  and  told  them  they  might  expect  the 
crisis  that  night. 

After  the  doctor's  departure  Madge  and 
Wilbur  stood  in  the  sick  room  facing  each 
other,  terror  stricken.  Crisis.  That  meant 
that  their  fight  was  soon  over,  one  way 
or  the  other.  Madge  was  the  first  to 
speak:  "If  only  we  were  living  so  as 
to  merit  the  full  blessings  of  the  Lord.  We 
have  neglected  many  of  his  command- 
ments, but  one  we  have  utterly  disregarded 
— that  of  tithe  paying.  And  now  we  are 
asking  the  Lord  to  pour  out  his  blessing 
on  us — We're  not  worthy — " 

Tears  were  streaming  down  her  face  as 
she  looked  in  her  husband's  troubled  eyes. 
She  tottered  and  must  have  fallen  had  he 
not  caught  her  in  his  arms. 

"Sweetheart — Russell's  goin'  t'  git  well 
— he  must — We'll  promise  the  Lord  to  do 
better  if  only  he'll  spare  our  boy.  There 
— you'd  better  go  to  him — he's  throwing 
the  covers." 

Madge  hastened  to  the  bed  and  felt  of 
the  head  and  hands  of  Russell. 

"Bring  me  the  liniment  and  olive  oil. 
While  I  rub  him  you  can  try  to  keep  him 
covered.  The  doctor  said  above  all  things 
we  must  not  let  him  get  cold  tonight." 

So  on  through  weary  hours  they  worked. 
At  time9  Madge  felt  incapable  of  making 
another  move  so  great  was  her  fatigue. 
Her  eye-balls  were  like  coals  of  fire.  At 
midnight  his  fever  lessened,  but  still  they 
dare  not  leave  the  bed.  For  one  minute 
with  the  strength  of  delirium  he  would 
throw  covers  and  make  attempts  to  get  out 
of  bed  muttering  incoherences;  possibly  the 
next  minute  they  could  scarcely  distinguish 
a  spark  of  life  within  him.  So  through 
long  hours  they  fought  and  prayed.      At 


five  o'clock  a  change  came.     His  breathing 
became  natural  and  his  sleep  peaceful. 

"He's  better,  daddy — he's  better." 
Madge's  eyes  were  bright  with  happiness  as 
she  spoke. 

Wilbur  bent  over  the  sleeping  child  for 
several  seconds. 

"Yes,  he's  better,  Mother — and  now 
you  must  get  some  sleep." 

"But  I  can't  leave  him — oh,  daddy.  I'm 
so  thankful." 

"But  you  must,"  Wilbur  insisted.  I'm 
goin'  t'  stay  right  here  'til  morning  an' 
you're  goin'   to  get  some  rest. 

So  Madge  was  soon  in  bed  and  having 
the  first  untroubled  sleep  she  had  had  for 
weeks. 

Before  a  month  had  passed,  life  at  Moun- 
tain View  Farm  had  resumed  its  normal 
trend.  Russell  was  gaining  in  strength 
daily,  and  happiness,  too,  for  Christmas 
was  only  a  few  days  away. 

Madge  was  a  little  sad  these  days  in  spite 
of  Russell's  improved  health.  Wilbur  had 
never  mentioned  tithe-paying  and  she  was 
beginning  to  fear  another  year  was  going 
to  pass  with  their  obligations  to  the  Lord 
unpaid. 

Of  this  she  was  thinking  as  she  sat  in 
their  cozy  room  busy  with  mending.  Sud- 
denly Russell  rushed  into  the  room. 

"Here,  Mama,  take  this  paper  and  write 
your  letter  to  Santa.  Me  an'  daddy  have 
got  our's  all  wrote.  We're  goin'  to  send 
them  up  the  chimney." 

Without  hesitation   Madge   wrote: 

Dear  Santa:  I  would  like  to  have 
enough  money  to  pay  my  tithing.  Noth- 
ing could  give  me  more  joy. 

Best  wishes  for  a  happy  Christmas. — 
Madge  Petty. 

Madge  was  folding  the  paper  prepara- 
tory to  putting  it  in  the  stove  door  when 
Russell  slipped  it  adroitly  from  her  hand. 

"I've  got  to  let  daddy  read  it,"  and 
before  she  could  make  protest  he  had  dis- 
appeared from  the  room. 

A  few  moments  later  Wilbur  stood  be- 
fore her  with  the  letter  in  his  hand,  his 
gray  eyes  smiling  as  he  spoke:  "Mother, 
this  is  one  Christmas  you're  goin'  to  git 
your  present  a  bit  previous.      Bishop's  set- 


TITHE  OF   THE  LAND 


147 


tlin'  tithing  down  at  the  Church,  get  your 
coat  an'  hat." 

Bishop  Farnsworth  and  his  counselors 
were  surprised  when  Wilbur  walked  up  to 
the  little  table  by  which  they  were  sitting 
and  took  from  his  pocket  a  roll  of  bills. 
As    he    laid    them    on    the    table    he    said: 

"Here  are  two  hundred  and  thirty-five 
dollars,  my  full  tithing  for  the  year — my 
first  tithing,  but  I  hope  it  won't  be  my 
last." 

The  three  ward  officials  shook  hands 
with  Wilbur  and  Madge  and  congratulated 
them  for  being  able  and  brave  enough  to 
pay  a  full  tithing  at  the  first  attempt. 
Both  felt  proud  and  thankful  as  they  walk- 
ed down  the  aisle  toward  the  door.      Just 


as  Wilbur  opened  the  door  the  Bishop 
called  out:  "We  wish  you  all  a  merry 
Christmas." 

And  that  was  just  what  the  Petty  family 
had — a  merry  Christmas.  As  Madge  stood 
by  Russell's  small  tree  on  Christmas  morn- 
ing Wilbur  came  and  put  his  arm  about 
her.  He  stood  for  a  few  seconds  before 
speaking:  "I  was  tempted  t'  spend  the 
tithing  money  for  a  radio  but  I'm  glad  I 
didn't.  I  never  felt  so  humble  an'  thank- 
ful before  in  my  life.  I  believe  I  know 
now  the  spirit  that  Christ  would  like  us 
to  have  in  our  hearts  at  Christmas  time.' 

"Spirit  of  sacrifice,"  murmured  Madge, 
happily. 

Pocutello.    Idaho 


The  Miracle  of  Joseph  Smith 


By  Frank  C.  Steele 


One  hundred  and  twenty-two  years  ago 
was  born  Joseph  Smith,  the  greatest  re- 
ligious teacher,  the  Savior  excepted,  this 
world  has  known.  As  a  restorer  and 
prophet,  as  an  organizer  and  a  law-giver, 
Joseph  Smith  will  be  known  to  all  the 
world  in  all  ages.  In  truth,  thousands  now 
recognize  his  pre-eminent  position;  mil- 
lions are  impelled  to  deny  him  such  recog- 
nition, through  ignorance  and  prejudice. 

But  the  day  is  fast  approaching  when 
this  man,  whose  life  and  work  combine 
to  form  a  miracle  of  the  ages,  will  be  ac- 
corded his  place  among  the  world's  im- 
mortals. 

Let  us  swiftly  scan  the  wonderful  career 
of  Joseph  Smith,  a  career  that  stands  out 
among  the  mysteriously  great  in  human 
annals  Born  in  the  backwoods  of  Ver- 
mont of  honest  but  lowly  parents,  his 
limitations  were  many.  His  schooling  was 
meager,  fragmentary,  although  his  very  life 
under  hard,  pioneer  conditions  taught  him 
many  of  life's  important  lessons.  Then, 
too,  like  the  great  Lincoln,  young  Joseph 
had  a  mother.  Lucy  Mack  Smith,  whose 
influence  on  her  son  of  destiny  has  given 
her  a  glory  which  will  never  fade. 


Later,  when  Joseph  is  yet  a  boy,  the 
Smiths  leave  the  stony  Vermont  homestead 
and  locate  in  western  New  York.  Poverty 
drives  them  to  make  this  move;  the  wrench 
at  leaving  is  hard,  but  in  the  strange  com- 
bination of  events,  that  very  hardship  is  a 
step  in  the  ladder  of  success  for  the 
thoughtful  Joseph  trudging  with  his  kin- 
folk  across  country  to  a  new  home. 

Again  the  picture  changes.  Kneeling  in 
a  grove  not  far  from  the  rude  cottage  of 
his  family  this  remarkable  boy  is  absorbed 
in  prayer.  He  is  only  fourteen  years  of  age 
but  his  soul  is  torn  with  uncertainty.  He 
pleads  for  light  and,  pressed  by  faith,  the 
gates  of  heaven  are  opened  and  God  the 
Father  and  his  Son  come  down  to  earth 
and  commune  with  the  humble  suppliant. 

Eager  to  inform  the  religious  world, 
confused  and  divided  on  questions  of  doc- 
trine and  practice,  of  his  great  revelation, 
Joseph  makes  known  to  a  select  few  the 
circumstances  of  his  vision.  He  meet',  re- 
buff and  persecution  and  is  soon  branded 
a  half-wit,  an  idle  visionary  and  other 
cruel  nicknames  that  might  have  discour- 
aged and  embittered  a  spirit  weaker  than 
his. 


148 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


Unyielding  in  his  testimony  and  un- 
moved by  the  waves  of  abuse  that  break 
upon  his  young  brow,  he  stands  alone  in 
the  crowd,  comforted  only  by  his  faith- 
ful parents.  Years  pass  and  again  to  the 
chosen  Joseph,  now  reaching  young  man- 
hood, come  heavenly  messengers  bearing 
new  blessings  and  new  responsibilities. 
Among  these  responsibilities  is  numbered 
the  plates  of  a  sacred  record — the  Book 
of  Mormon — which  the  boy,  by  the  gift 
and  power  of  God  translates  and  publishes, 
another  witness  for  Jesus  Christ  in  all  the 
world. 

From  that  time  forward  his  work  multi- 
plies as  do  the  visitations  of  mobocrats  and 
evil  designing  men.  Sublimely  he  meets 
and  shatters  these  attacks,  rising  from  every 
Slough  of  Despond  with  a  new  courage 
and  a  new  vision. 

Schooled  by  the  holy  Spirit  and  dis- 
ciplined by  the  Deity  himself,  Joseph  Smith 
continues  to  serve  his  fellowmen.  From 
him  pour  wisdom  and  virtue  and  truth  and 
those  acts  of  his  divine  calling  that  lead 
to  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  upon  the  earth.  His  mysterious 
growth  of  soul  and  intellect,  reading  and 
writing  much,  pondering  eternally,  com- 
muning with  angels  and  with  God,  cheer- 
ing and  organizing  his  people — these  are 
features  of  his  life  before  which  we  bow 
our  heads  in  awe  and  reverence.  Such 
wisdom,  such  vision,  such  compassion! 
His  poise,  the  perfection  of  his  restraint 
in  the  midst  of  stress,   the  fine  control  of 


the  mighty  powers  that  were  his  to  com- 
mand, these  are  all  elements  of  greatness 
unfolded  in  this  remarkable  life. 

As  a  child  he  had  emerged  from  the 
forest  fastnesses  to  take  up  his  stupendous 
task;  as  a  man,  surrounded  by  thouands 
who  love  and  honor  him  yet  withal  much 
alone  and  much  misunderstood,  he  now 
moves  on  to  that  fate,  gathering  like  a 
winter  cloud  above  his  head. 

But  a  divine  Power  has  endowed  him 
against  that  dreadful  hour  when  he  is  led 
away  to  death  and  martyrdom.  In  the 
agony  of  that  moment  of  supreme  testing, 
torn  from  wife  and  children,  friends  and 
followers,  home  and  possessions,  the 
Church  he  had  founded  and  the  city  he 
had  built,  he  wavers  not.  His  testimony 
he  had  declared  without  fear  in  life;  in 
death  he  makes  it  binding  with  his  blood. 
With  peace  upon  his  brow,  and  charity  in 
his  heart,  he  receives,  like  the  great  Lin- 
coln a  decade  later,  the  shot  that  sends 
his  spirit  to  God. 

To  our  crude  mortal  senses  Joseph 
Smith  is  dead,  yet,  in  the  extraordinary 
sense  of  spirit  life,  he  is  alive.  And  above 
and  through  the  all-embracing  work  which 
under  divine  guidance  he  established,  the 
spirit  and  influence  of  this  Prophet  and 
Seer  still  moves.  That  ministration  cannot 
be  stayed. 

And  so  it  shall  be  until  the  task  is  done 
and  the  hosts  of  men  go  forth  to  meet 
their  Lord. 

Lethbridge.    Alta,    Canada. 


Finis 

When  we  have  reached  the  end  of  the  last  long  mile, 
And  the  grim,  black  shadows  of  the  night  creep  down. 

Will  the  sunset  hover  o'er  our  staunch  glad  smile. 

Or  must  darkness  spread  her  wings  to  hide  our  frown? 

Will  all  we  ever  hoped  to  be  abide  the  crucial  hour 

When  wistfully  we  view  the  closing  day, 
Our  pomp,  our  pelf,  our  little  meed  of  vaunting  pouar. 

Will  these  cherished  monuments  survive  our  mortal  clay? 

Oh.  may  our  hearts  be  brave  until  the  twilight  fades. 

That  closes  on  our  last  triumphant  deed, 
And  when  our  lamp  goes  out  and  we  slip  into  shades. 

Heaven-bound,  worthy,  let  courage  be  our  creed. 


EZRA  J.   POULSEN 


The  Scoop 

By  W.  E.  Sadler 


They  called  him  "Chubby"  because  he 
was  fat,  and  he  was  known  as  the  "cub" 
reporter  of  the  Evening  Herald,  because 
that  was  his  job.  In  case  you  don't  know 
what  a  "cub"  reporter  is,  I'll  explain:  he 
is  usually  the  youngest  of  the  staff  of  re- 
porters on  any  newspaper  and  his  job  is 
to  write-up  all  the  "cradle-to-the-grave," 
marriage  notices,  and  various  other  bits  of 
news  which  are  too  slight  to  warrant  the 
efforts  of  the  higher-salaried  of  the  pro- 
fession. 

"Chubby"  Leach  had  left  high  school 
that  su.nmer  to  become  the  cub  reporter 
for  the  Herald.  He  had  made  only  one 
mistake  since  his  advent  into  journalism 
and  that  was  to  tell  Morton,  the  star  re- 
porter his  aims,  ambitions  and  ideals  as 
pertaining  to  newspaper  writing.  Since  that 
time  his  aspirations  were  known  to  all  of 
the  staff,  from  the  editor  to  the  copy-boy, 
and  he  was  constantly  being  made  the  goat 
for  all  sorts  of  practical  jokes.  And 
Chubby,  being  as  devoid  of  humor  as  a 
bathing-beach  is  of  modesty,  welcomed 
such  practical  jokes  because  he  refused  to 
fall  into  line  and  laugh  with  the  perpetra- 
tor. But.  like  the  hero  of  Horatio  Alger's 
stories,  "nothing  daunted  his  brave  spirit, 
and   he   ever   strove    for   success." 

The  three  o'clock  "dead-line"  for  the 
afternoon  edition  had  just  passed.  The 
strain  of  the  day's  news-getting  had  fallen 
off,  and  as  the  presses  ground  out  their 
reams  of  printed  pages  everyone  in  the 
editorial  rooms  relaxed. 

Sitting  in  front  of  his  desk.  Chubby 
mused:  "Gee,  now  if  I  could  only  get 
a  line  on  a  scoop — a  real.  big.  important 
scoop — I'd  have  it  all  over  these  beat- 
men  and  maybe  get  the  Old  Man  to  make 
me  a  'star'  too!  I'll  show  these  stuck-up 
guys  a  thing  or  two  about  reporting  one 
of  these  days!" 

Morton,  the  "star."  gazed  at  Chubby 
over  the  edge  of  his  paper  and  his  mouth 


turned  upward  into  a  grin  as  he  said: 
"What's  the  matter,  Chubby,  old  boy? 
Still  thinking  of  the  One  Big  Scoop?" 

Chubby  muttered  something  that  sound- 
ed like  "mind  your  own  business,"  flung 
down  the  paper  he  had  been  reading  and 
walked  out  of  the  office.  On  the  side- 
walk he  headed  for  the  corner  of  the  busiest 
street  intersection  with  the  fond  hopes  that 
an  accident  would  happen  with  himself 
as  the  eye-witness. 

As  soon  as  Chubby  had  gone  Morton 
jumped  up  from  his  chair:  the  expression 
on  his  face  was  that  of  a  man  who  had 
just  been  struck  with  a  brilliant  idea. 
Walking  over  to  another  reporter,  Morton 
spoke  a  few  words  in  boisterous  glee  and 
then  settled  down   to  outline  his  plan. 

The  plan  was  this:  Morton  and  the 
other  reporter  were  to  follow  Chubby  to 
the  cafe  at  which  he  usually  took  his 
supper.  Chubby  should  be  allowed  to 
overhear  a  conversation  between  the  two 
which  would  lead  him  into  going  to  room 
448  at  the  New  Netherlands  Hotel  late 
that  night.  He  was  to  hear  enough  at  the 
cafe  which  would  lead  him  to  believe  that 
he  was  going  after  a  big  scoop.  At  the 
hotel  the  two  reporters  would  arvangc 
it  so  Chubby  would  get  an  earful  about  a 
crazy  plan  to  poison  the  municipal  water 
supply.  Morton  was  to  assume  the  rob 
of  the  poisoner  and  the  other  man  the 
financial  backer  of  the  plan.  Then,  after 
Chubby  had  gathered  all  the  details  of 
what  seemed  to  be  a  big  story,  and  had 
written  them  up.  Morton  and  the  rest  of 
the  editorial  office  were  to  joke  him  about 
his  diligence   in   procuring   a    "dud"    story. 

••  *  *  *  yOU  know  where  Chubby 
generally  eats  his  supper — in  that  Chinese 
cafe  with  the  booths  at  the  side?  Well, 
that's  the  place:  meet  me  on  the  corner  at 
about    six    o'clock,"    Morton    finished. 

"But  won't  the  chief  get  sore?"  queried 
the  other. 


150 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


"Not  on  your  life!  The  boss  enjoys 
a  joke  as  much  as  anyone  else.  Besides, 
we'll  be  teaching  the  youngster  a  lesson  in 
news-gathering,"   replied  Morton. 

"Better  tell  him  about  it  first,  though, 
to  be  sure  about  it — we  don't  want  this 
to  be  a  boomerang,"  said  the  cautious 
individual. 

Without  further  ado  Morton  walked 
over  to  the  glassed-in  enclosure  with  the 
single  word:  "Editor"  inscribed  on  the 
door.  Not  bothering  to  knock  he  walked 
in.  A  few  minutes  later  he  came  out 
chuckling  to  himself. 

"Everything's  all  set,"  he  announced  to 
his  colleague.  "Don't  forget  to  meet  me 
at  six  o'clock  sharp  in  Sing  Fat's!"  And 
with  another  laugh  he  picked  up  his  hat 
and  walked  out  of  the  office. 

Sing  Fat's  Shanghai  Cafe  was  the  Mecca 
for  all  sorts  of  people.  If  you  wanted  a 
dish  of  chow  mein  or  a  pork-chop  you 
could  get  it  there,  served  by  a  slim,  slant- 
eyed,  yellow-skinned  person.  Likewise,  if 
you  wanted  privacy  in  order  to  discuss  a 
shady  deal,  the  booths,  heavily-curtained, 
which  lined  the  wall  were  at  your  service. 
Every  politician,  crook,  artist  or  merchant 
in  the  town  knew  and  liked  Sin  Fat's. 

Chubby  liked  Sin  Fat's  because  he  could 
get  a  meal  for  thirty-five  cents  which  was 
satisfying.  And  again,  the  meal  would  be 
served  where  others  couldn't  observe  him 
when  he  utilized  stray  pieces  of  bread  to 
mop  up  the  remains  of  gravy  on  the  plat- 
ter. So  at  or  about  six  o'clock  Chubby 
could  be  found  occupying  one  of  the 
booths. 

Chubby  had  just  been  visited  with  the 
first  course  when  two  men  walked  into 
the  cafe,  glanced  around,  spoke  a  few 
words  to  the  Chinaman  at  the  counter, 
and  were  guided  to  a  booth  adjoining  that 
occupied  by  the  cub  reporter. 

Whilst  in  the  motion  of  conveying  a 
section  of  pie  to  his  mouth,  Chubby  was 
startled  at  hearing  someone  in  the  next 
booth  pounding  on  the  table  and  shouting 
in  an  aggravated  tone:  "I  won't  have  it! 
It's  outrageous:  it's  a  darned  swindle — 
that's  what  it  is!" 

Scenting  a  plot,  or  possibly  a  fight — 
both   of   which    are    good   news — Chubby 


hustled  out  of  his  chair  and  glued  his  ear 
to  the  thinly  boarded  partition  separating 
the  two  booths. 

A  man  was  saying:  "Well,  don't  shout 
like  that  or  you'll  have  the  whole  restau- 
rant knowing  your  business!  Be  sensible 
and  calm  down,  man;  you'll  get  your 
share  of  the  cut!  And  if  you  want  to 
talk  about  any  of  the  details  you  can  make 
your  talk  to  the  committee — we  meet  to- 
night in  room  448  at  the  New  Nether- 
lands Hotel  at  eleven  o'clock  sharp.  Be- 
lieve me,  any  newspaperman  would  give 
his  ears  to  know  the  things  up  for  dis- 
cussion  tonight:    be  careful  and  don't  let 

anyone    know    about    it,    and "    here 

his  voice  trailed  off  until  it  was  lost  upon 
the  eavesi-dropper. 

Chubby  straightened  up;  he  had  heard 
enough  to  convince  him  that  something 
was  indeed  "in  the  air."  His  eyes  were 
as  big  as  saucers  as  he  thought  of  what 
the  man  had  said:  "  *  *  *  any  news- 
paper man  would  give  his  ears  to  know 
the   things   up   for  discussion   tonight — " 

Gone  wa9  his  appetite,  and  in  its  stead 
there  burned  the  knowledge  of  an  ap- 
parently "big  scoop"  about  to  break.  He 
grabbed  for  his  hat,  hastily  paid  his  check 
and  walked  out  of  the  cafe  with  never  a 
thought  about  food. 

Coming  down  to  the  corner.  Chubby 
stopped  and  took  stock  of  what  he  had 
heard.  "The  time  was  eleven  o'clock 
and  the  place  was  the — let's  see  now;  was 
it  the  New  Holland  or  the  New  Nether- 
lands hotel?  Well,  I  can  find  out  from 
the  clerk  of  each  if  anything  is  going  on 
up  in  room  448!"  he  said  half  to  him- 
self. 

From  the  time  he  had  left  the  restaurant 
until  nearly  eleven  o'clock — the  time  for 
the  event  to  take  place — Chubby  had 
walked  around  with  his  chin  in  the  air 
building  air  castles.  If  it  was  anything 
about  the  present  city  administration,  he 
thought,  there  would  sure  be  a  big  scoop 
in  it.  The  Herald  had  bucked  the  in- 
cumbents ever  since  they  had  been  elected 
because  of  certain  nefarious  practices.  At 
any  rate,  here  was  his  big  chance;  if  this 
scoop  was  successful  he  was  a  made  man 
and  no  but's  about  it! 


THE  SCOOP 


151 


The  clock  on  the  bank  corner  warned 
him  that  it  lacked  fifteen  minutes  of 
eleven.  Chubby  hastened  his  footsteps  to- 
wards the  New  Holland  Hotel,  two  blocks 
away. 

Sauntering  up  to  the  desk,  and  trying 
to  keep  his  excitement  from  showing  on 
his  face,  Chubby  asked  if  there  was  any- 
thing special  doing  in  room  448.  The 
clerk,  who  knew  him,  replied  no;  not  in 
448  anyway,  but  wasn't  it  428  he  re- 
ferred to?  If  it  was,  the  clerk  had  seen 
five  men  go  up  there  just  a  few  moments 
ago,  and  although  the  room  was  registered 
to  an  out-of-town  contractor  maybe  some- 
thing  was   happening   there. 

Chubby  pulled  the  clerk  towards  him 
and  whispered  what  he  had  heard  the  man 
say  in  Sing  Fat's.  In  return  for  this 
confidence  he  was  given  permission  to 
listen  at  the  key-hole  of  room  428  as  long 
as  he  didn't  get  caught. 

Disdaining  the  elevator,  Chubby  took 
the  stairs  at  a  run  and  arrived  at  the  fourth 
floor  out  of  breath  and  gasping.  He  tip- 
toed down  the  corridor  until  he  reached 
room  428  and  pulled  out  his  pad  and 
pencil.  With  his  ear  to  the  door  and  a 
watchful  eye  on  the  corridor  he  was  able 
to   hear  someone   say: 

"But,  Mayor,  this  contract  I'm  bidding 
in  will  put  the  total  bond  issue  of  the 
municipal  sewer  contract  in  your  council's 
hands.  Think  of  it,  man!  Five  million 
dollars  at  the  disposal  of  you  four  men! 
Now  here's  my  plan:  we'll  substitute  num- 
ber one  clay  pipe  for  the  specified  iron: 
we'll  take  a  different  grading  than  the  one 
specified  by  the  engineers  and  we'll  reduce 
the  footage.  On  top  of  that  we'll  use 
smaller  pipe;  then  there's  the  incidental 
expenses  to  be  considered,  so  altogether 
we  should  be  able  to  clean  up  a  million 
and  a  quarter  out  of  the  whole  business! 
That's  not  a  bad  split  for  five  men.  is 
it?" 

"How  are  we  going  to  be  assured  that 
the  people  will  know  nothing  of  the  plan? 
How  are  you  going  to  keep  your  foremen 
from  knowing  what's  going  on?  How  are 
you  going  to  protect  our  interests?"  came 
from  a  Doubting  Thomas  in  the  room. 

"By  simply  using  out-of-the-city  labor." 


explained  the  first  speaker.  "I  intend  to 
hire  none  of  my  skilled  help  from  this  city, 
so  you'll  all  have  nothing  to  worry  about' 
Then  think  of  this,  too:  you,  Mr.  Mayor, 
and  you,  Councilmcn.  will  go  up  for  elec- 
tion this  fall.  With  the  Herald  against 
you,  you  know  you  can't  win;  they've 
shown  you  up  too  much  in  the  past.  Why 
not  take  a  good  slice  of  the  tax-payer's 
money  while  there's  the  chance?  Why  not 
be  killed  for  a  sheep  as  for  a  lamb?" 

Scribbling  furiously,  his  ear  still  at  the 
door,  Chubby  caught  this  much  and  a  great 
deal  more  of  the  same  kind  of  talk.  The 
gist  of  the  whole  business!  was  that  the 
incumbent  administration  was  planning  a 
gigantic  coup,  which,  if  carried  off,  would 
cost  the  taxpayers  over  a  million  dollars 
and  would  jeopardize  practically  the  en- 
tire sewage  system  of  the  city  through  in 
ferior  material  and  inferior  methods. 

Chubby  heard  a  vote  taken,  heard  the 
names  of  the  mayor  and  his  councilmen 
reply  "aye"  to  the  question,  and  after  a 
short  talk  by  the  man  who  appeared  to  be 
the  instigator  he  heard  the  chairs  being 
pulled  back  from  the  center  of  the  room. 

Chubby  again  bounced  down  the  stairs 
and  into  the  lobby.  It  was  almost  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  He  had  been 
listening  for  the  better  part  of  three  hours! 
But,  oh  boy!  what  a  scoop!  There  re- 
mained only  the  identification  of  the  men 
as  they  passed  through  the  lobby  to  make 
the  story  a  fact.  He  stuffed  his  notes  into 
a  side  pocket  and  slumped  into  a  large, 
over-stuffed  chair  where  he  could  see  the 
men  as  they  passed  through  the  lobby  but 
could  not  be  seen  by  them. 

He  did  not  have  long  to  wait.  The 
elevator  door  opened  with  a  bang  and  four 
figures  came  out  and  started  hurriedly  for 
the  door.  Chubby  recognized  their  faces 
as  they  passed;  Parsons,  the  mayor,  and 
Briggs,  Stratton.  Peterson  and  Meyer, 
councilmen. 

From  the  register  Chubby  obtained  the 
name  of  the  out-of-town  contractor  and 
verified  it  with  the  clerk.  Then  he  hastened 
home  with  his  secret,  confident  in  the 
knowledge  that  he  had  obtained  a  "beat" 
over    the    morning    paper,     and    that    his 


152 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


story  would  be  the  biggest  scoop  ill 
months. 

He  could  hardly  sleep  that  night,  think- 
ing about  his  story.  Several  times  he 
awoke  and  reached  for  the  scribbled  notes 
to  make  sure  that  it  was  not  a  dream. 

At  seven  the  next  morning  Chubby  re- 
ported for  duty.  Instead  of  writing  up  the 
bits  of  miscellaneous  news  which  hung  on 
his  desk-file  he  commenced  on   the  story. 

His  cheeks  glowing,  his  eyes  snapping 
with  the  fire  of  it,  Chubby  pounded  the 
keys  of  his  dilapidated  typewriter.  The 
other  reporters,  trooping  in,  glanced  at 
him  and  smiled  knowingly.  A  group  of 
them  stood  near  the  editor's  sanctum  and 
exchanged  wise-cracks.  Loudest  amongst 
them  was  Morton. 

His  copy  finished,  Chubby  picked  up 
the  sheets  and  carried  them  himself  to  the 
editor's  office.  If  it  had  been  anything 
else  but  his  "big  scoop"  Chubby  would 
have  availed  himself  of  the  services  of  the 
copy-boy,  the  only  individual  in  the  big 
office  actually  at  his  beck  and  call. 

The  other  reporters,  four  of  them, 
nudged  each  other  as  Chubby,  wild-eyed 
and  tousled-haired,  brushed  past  them  into 
the  presence  of  the  editor.  The  door  banged 
beh'nd  him. 

"Just  wait  until  he  comes  out  after  he 

THE 


finds  out  it's  all  a  put-up  job!"  chuckled 
Morton.  The  others  laughed  loudly  and 
watched  the  door. 

Inside  the  office  Chubby  Was  telling 
the  Chief  how  he  heard  of  the  story.  He 
had  just  reached  the  point  where  he  was 
telling  about  the  hotel;  about  the  room 
number  being  428  instead  of  448  when 
the  editor  looked  up  surprised. 

Manning,  the  editor,  grabbed  the  sheets 
from  Chubby's  hands  and  began  reading 
them  with  absorption.  Quickly  he  ran 
through  them,  sifting  them  from  page  to 
page  as  the  important  points  came  to  light. 
Then  he  jumped  up  and  shouted: 

"What  hotel  did  you  get  this  from? 
Hurry  boy — what — ?" 

"T-t-the  New  Holland,  sir.  Isn't  it 
all  right?"  faltered  Chubby. 

"All  right!  Oh,  boy!  I'll  say  it's  all 
right  and  so  are  you!  Hooray!  And  now 
run  out  of  here  while  I  head  this  stuff  up 
— come  and  see  me  this  afternoon  and  I'll 
have  some  good  news  for  you!" 

And  as  Chubby  walked  out  of  the  door 
Manning  picked  up  the  telephone  to  call 
the  mayor's  office.  While  waiting  for  the 
number  he  mumbled  elatedly:  "The  New 
Holland  and  the  New  Netherlands! 
Wowie!  That's  surely  a  hot  one  on  Mor- 
ton— the  biggest  scoop  of  the  season!" 
END 


It's  The  Vim 

Oh,  it  isn't  the  trimmings  and  trappings! 

Nor  the  polished  face  of  the  train; 
It's  the  vim  panting  back  in  the  engine, 

That  carries  it  o'er  the  plain. 

No,   it  isn't  the  army's  regalia, 

Nor  the  front  line,  wide  as  the  sea; 

It's  the  vim  pulsing  deep  in  the  bosoms. 
That  flags  us  the  victory. 


So  don't  count  much  on  trappings  and  trimmings, 
As  wagers  in  this  world's  great  strife; 

For  it's  the  vim  behind  the  endeavor, 
That  wins  the  battle  of  life. 


Ephraim,  Utah. 


SUSAN  T.   JENNINGS 


Current  Events 


A  Study  for  the  Advanced  Senior  Class  M.  I.  A.,  1927-28 


Suggestions  by  the  Committee 
The  Advanced  Senior  Department  is 
planned  to  meet  the  needs  of  all  Mutual 
Improvement  members  over  twenty-three 
years  of  age.  The  class  is  especially 
anxious  to  welcome  to  its  ranks  the  young 
men  and  women  of  the  Church,  as  it  is 
felt  they  will  give  to  it  the  spirit  of  youth 
and  will  enrich  the  recitations  because  of 
their  recent  association  with  schools  and 
libraries.      One  of  the  popular  movements 


of  today  is  adult  education  and  the  Ad- 
vanced Senior  class  is  making  splendid 
headway  in  this  important  cause. 

The  Efficiency  Report  demands  our 
attention  for  the  month  of  December.  The 
Advanced  Senior  Class,  with  its  enviable 
reputation,  will  help  this  report.  Every 
member  should  become  enthusiastic  for 
progress.  This  class  stands  for  develop- 
ment, more  interesting  programs — and 
true  joy  for  each  individual  will  be  closely 
aligned  with  a   rousing  Efficiency  Report. 


1 — Religion  and  Social  Service 
(December,    1927) 
1 .    Does  Science  Conflict  with  Religion  ? 

Eight  men  answer  this  question  in 
Popular  Science,  October,  1927,  and  their 
answers  found  place  in  the  Reader's  Di- 
gest  of   November. 

Question:  Do  the  eight  agree  on  any 
one  point,  and  if  so,  what  is  the  point? 


2.  Definite  Diversity  of  Opinions. 

Two  theological  giants  face  each  other 
in  controversy  over  the  conflict  between 
science  and  religion.  Which  has  the  best 
of  the  battle  as  reported  in  Literary  Digest. 
October  15,  page  33? 

3.  "The  Ugly  Side  of  Beauty  Display." 
Under  this  headline  the  Literary  Digest 

of  October  22,  presents  the  attitude  of  the 
National  Council  of  Catholic  Women,  and 
the  press  comments  on  their  efforts  for 
public  reform. 

Problem:       Is   there    need    of   reform    in 


beauty  contests,  and  if  so.  how  can  we 
help  to  hasten  it? 

4.  "Is  Family  Life  Declining^" 
A   woman   of   recognized   social  service 

authority  says:  "Family  responsibility  has 
not  turned  to  irresponsibility."  A  man  of 
legislative  prominence  calls  for  a  concession 
of  the  truth  as  he  sees  it,  quite  opposite  to 
the  conclusions  of  the  eminent  lady.  (See 
Literary  Digest,  October  29,  page  31.) 
Our  Problem:  Which  is  the  most  con- 
sistent attitude  to  take,  that  taken  by  Miss 
Hamilton  at  the  Buffalo  conference  on 
Family  Life  in  America  Today,  or  that 
taken  by  Senator  Hamilton  Lewis  at  the 
Catholic  Women's  League  in  Chicago? 

5.  "A  Badly  Muddled  Religion." 
Under    this    heading    in    less    than    one 

column  there  are  set  forth  twenty-five  ideas 
on  religion  and  social  service.  (See 
Literary  Digest,  November  5.)  Select 
the  best  of  the  thoughts  expressed. 


2 — Politics  and  Industry 


1 .   Prosperity. 

Recently,  President  Coolidge  made  the 
declaration  that  the  tide  of  good  times  is 
not  receding,  but  rising,  and  that  pros- 
perity is  on  the  increase,   with  bigger  buy- 


ing of  luxuries  as  well  as  necessities  just 
ahead  of  us.  A  brief  summary  of  his  views 
are  to  the  effect  that  crops,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  cotton,  are  fully  as  good  as 
last    year    and    that    the    corn    and    wheat 


154 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


crops  have  actually  greatly  increased;  that 
notwithstanding  quite  a  number  of  people 
have  been  out  of  employment,  the  number 
is  decreasing;  that  the  mail-order-house 
sales  have  greatly  increased,  that  the  tex- 
tile industries  show  some  improvement, 
that  the  steel  industry  is  even  picking  up, 
and  that  the  exports  and  imports  are  keep- 
ing pace  with  last  year. 

In  contrast  to  this  optimistic  view  of 
the  president.  Prof.  H.  Parker  Willis,  the 
editor  of  the  Journal  of  Commerce,  in 
New  York,  according  to  his  survey  of 
business  conditions,  says  that  things  are 
not  altogether  satisfactory;  that  there  has 
been  a  falling  off  in  the  orders  of  the  steel 
corporation,  and  textiles  have  been  de- 
pressed for  some  time;  that  the  motor 
trade  has  not  recovered;  railway  freight 
movements  have  been  only  fair,  and  that 
the  good  retail  trade  is  largely  due  to  the 
increase  in  the  production  of  wheat  and 
corn,  which  have  benefited  only  certain 
agricultural  sections  of  the  country. 

Questions 

Are  favorable  economic  conditions  due  to 
political  organizations  or  parties,  or  is  there 
some  more  fundamental  cause?  What  part  do 
invention,  chemistry,  greater  efficiency  in  ac- 
counting and  management,  play  in  the  role 
of  increased  prosperity?  What  other  things 
have  contributed  to  better  economic  conditions? 
What  do  political  parties  contribute?  What 
has  been  your  own  observation  on  business 
conditions?  Has  your  own  business  improved? 
Why?  (See  Literary  Digest.  October  29. 
1927,   page    13.) 

2.   Europe  as  a  Competitor. 

It  looks  as  if  a  serious  trade  war  in 
which  the  American  chemical  interests  are 
concerned,  will  occur  within  the  near  fu- 
ture. According  to  recent  announcements, 
the  leading  nations  of  Europe  have  formed 
a  billion  dollar  chemical  trust,  which  in- 
cludes Germany,  Great  Britain,  France  and 
Belgium.  It  is  said  that  these  countries 
intend  to  make  economies  in  production 
and  distribution  without  increasing  prices 
so  that  they  may  invade  the  markets  of 
foreign     countries     where     the     American 


chemical  industry  has  gained  a  leading 
position  since  the  war.  This  is  not  the 
only  industrial  combination  which  is  re- 
ported from  Europe.  There  is  an  agree- 
ment in  the  aluminum  industry  which  in- 
volves Germany,  France,  England,  Swit- 
zerland, Austria  and  Norway,  and,  too, 
steps  have  been  taken  to  bring  together 
the  electrical  and  textile  industries  of 
leading  producing  countries.  These  ten- 
dencies in  oversea  industries  are  likely  to 
greatly  affect  the  western  world.  "The 
movement  has  not  been  dictated  by 
political  causes,  but  by  economic  neces- 
sity." It  seems  as  if  the  Bankers'  and 
Industrialists'  Boards  have  conceived  the 
idea  of  pooling  their  resources  and  of 
dividing  the  trade  and  the  territory  so  as 
to  keep  down  costs,  and  in  particular, 
against  each  other. 

Questions 

What  is  the  real  purpose  of  these  combina- 
tions? Are  they  formed  solely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  getting  the  world's  markets,  or  is  it  to 
regain  some  of  the  markets  which  they  lost.  If 
these  combinations  are  successful,  what  other 
combinations  in  Europe  will  likely  soon  fol- 
low? How  can  we  meet  these  combinations? 
What  is  the  problem  that  we  must  face  exactly 
in  Europe?  Only  by  what  methods  can  we 
outdo  Europe?  (See  Literary  Digest,  October 
29,   1927,  page   14.) 

3.    The  United  States'  Merchant  Marine. 

Although  the  United  States  is  one  of 
the  leading  industrial  and  exporting  coun- 
tries in  the  world,  it  has  not  maintained 
a  high  position  in  the  merchant  marine 
when  compared  with  certain  other  coun- 
tries. 

Questions 

Why  is  this  the  condition  in  our  country? 
What  particular  benefit  would  a  good  mer- 
chant marine  be  to  the  U.  S.?  In  what  way 
are  our  vessels  obsolete  compared  with  those 
of  other  countries?  What  particular  kind  of 
vessel  is  best  for  a  merchant  marine?  How  has 
the  United  States  lagged  behind  other  countries, 
such  as  Great  Britain.  Germany,  France,  and 
Italy,  in  the  building  of  ships  for  merchant 
marine  purposes?  (See  Literary  Digest.  Octo- 
ber 29,    1927.  page  21.) 


Outings 

Benson  District  Scouts 


This  picture  shows  the  scout  leaders  of 
the  Benson  District  of  the  Cache  Valley 
Council  B.  S.  A.,  who  successfully  com- 
pleted the  minimum  course  in  Scoutmaster- 


ship  and  were  awarded  certificates  by  the 
National  Council  B.  S.  A.  The  course 
was  given  at  Richmond,  Utah. 


Crater  and  Red  Mountains  from  summit  of  Berthoud  Pas 

Denver. 


on  the  road   between   Utah  and 


Teton  Peaks  Council,  Boy  Scouts  of  America 

Top:  Mouth  of  the  cave  west  of  Idaho  Falls.  The  cave  is  a  lava  formation  and  looks 
like  a  stream  course.  The  ten  "picked"  First  Class  Scouts  of  the  Teton  Peaks  Council  with 
geologists,  scoutmasters,  and  Scout  Executive  H.  S.  Alvord.  with  a  Chamber  of  Commerce 
representative,  a  movie  representative,  and  a  newspaper  reporter,  explored  the  farthest  depths. 

Bottom:  Scouts,  scoutmasters  and  scout  officials  who  explored  the  "Butte"  lava  caves. 
This  flash-light  picture  was  taken  2,700  feet  underground.  Officials  in  the  picture  are, 
besides  scouts,  Dr.  C.  H.  Stattuck,  geologist,  J.  M.  Gaddie,  superintendent  of  Utah-Idaho 
Sugar  Company  of  Lincoln.  Dr.  J.  W.  West,  scout  commissioner;  Gene  Young,  Chamber 
of  Commerce  representative,  and  Executive  H.  S.  Alvord,  stooping. 


This  council  is  well  taken  care  of.  Ac- 
cording to  Scout  Executive  H.  S.  Alvord  it 
has  the  greatest  corps  of  scout  workers  in 
the  field.  He  states  that  their  camp  is  per- 


manent and  will  be  usable  for  many  years. 
"The  increased  enrollment  justifies  my 
saying  it  will  be  full  for  four  weeks  each 
summer." 


Top:  This  log  cabin  was  donated  to  the  permanent  Scout  Camp  of  the  Teton  Peaks 
Council,  by  the  "Rexburg  Rotary  Club."  The  other  cabin  being  constructed  now.  was 
purchased  by  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  It  is  expected  five  such  cabins  will  be  ready  by 
next  June. 

Center:  The  "Council  Ring"  with  Scout  Executive  H.  S.  Alvord,  standing.  This 
council  is  conducted  by  the  Teton  Peaks  Council  from  July  18  to  August  18.  The  capacity 
is  60  boys  and  ten  men  weekly.  The  Council  covers  20.235  square  miles  with  seven  stakes 
of  the  Church.  There  are  57  regular  troops  and  1.141  registered  scouts.  Splendid  co- 
operation is  given  in  all  the  Latter-day  Saint  wards. 

Bottom:  "An  expert  shows  'cm  how."  One  of  the  small  instruction  groups  learning 
archery  from  two  experts.  Elvin  Keller,  assistant  camp  director  of  Teton  Peaks  Council,  with 
headquarters  at  Idaho  Falls,  and  R.  C.  Anderson,  scoutmaster  of  Union  ward  troop. — H.  S. 
Alvord.  Camp  Director. 


Messages  from  the  Missions 

The  Missionaries 


To  every  land,  and  Isle  afar, 

Where    human    habitations    reach, 

Where   the   lost   tribes  of   Israel   are, 
The    gospel,    there,    we'll   preach. 

To  every   tongue  and   every  race, 
The  gospel's  light  shall  shine; 

All  men,   upon  the  earth's  broad  face, 
Shall    hear    the    truth    divine. 
Shiro,  Texas. 


The  heathen',   too,   shall  all   rejoice 

In  Restoration's  sound: 
We'll   gather  people  of  God's  choice 

From   lands   the    whole   world    'round. 

Unto  the  Mountain  of  the  Lord. 

Where  Zion's  banner  flies, 
They'll   come,    and   shout,    with    one   accord, 

His  praises  to   the  skies. 

La  Verta  Rhoton 


First  Baptisms  in  Montpelier,  France 


Public  conferences  were  held  in  the 
Marseilles  district  of  the  French  mission 
commencing  October  9.  Mission  president 
Ernest  C.   Rossiter  was   in   attendance   and 


all  who  wished  to  hear  and  see  what  is 
going  on  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  in  the 
other  "Mormon"  localities.  By  means  of 
stereopticon    views    and    their    explanation 


Missionaries  in  the  Marseilles  district,  standing  left  to  right:  Royal  Ballif.  Preston,  Idaho; 
Arthur  L.  Newman,  Salt  Lake  City;  W.  Rulon  Shaw,  Ogden;  Leon  L.  Cowles,  Salt  Lake 
City;  Ethan  O.  Huf faker,  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho.  Sitting:  Le  Grand  M.  Silver,  Salt  Lake 
City;  Wayne  H.  Knight,  Salt  Lake  City:  S.  Call  Nelson,  Provo,  district  president;  Ernest 
C.  Rossiter,  mission  president,  and  John  S.  Griffin,  Ogden,  Utah. 


gave  some  valuable  information  concerning 
the  "Mormon"  people.  We  enjoyed  over- 
flowing crowds1  in  each  town,  our  halls 
not    being    large    enough    to    accommodate 


we  were  enabled  to  convey  to  those  present 
a  more  estimable  opinion  of  our  people. 
On  the  last  day  of  the  conferences,  in  the 
city  of  Montpelier,  France,  which  city  has 


MESSAGES   FROM  THE  MISSIONS 


159 


been  opened  up  to  missionary  work  in  the 
last  year,  a  baptismal  ceremony  was  held 
and  two  people  were  cleansed  of  their  sins 
in  the  waters  of  baptism.  The  Lord  is 
blessing  our  efforts  and  our  prayers  are 
being  answered;  the  French  people  are  be- 
coming more  interested  in  the  gospel,  and 
there  are  many  honest  souls  among  them 


who  are  searching  for  the  truth  and  the 
way  to  salvation.  Each  month  we  look 
forward  to  receiving  and  reading  the  Era; 
it  is  truly  a  source  of  stimulation  and  up- 
lift of  the  spirit  in  this  work  of  God;  we 
thank  you  heartily  for  it. — S.  Call  Nelson, 
district  president. 


More  Converts  in  Wales 


This  year,  we  have  had  more  converts 
than  in  the  past  few  years  in  Cardiff, 
Wales.  During  the  past  summer,  many 
homes  have  been  opened  to  the  gospel,  and 
we    confidently    look    forward    to    a    good 


harvest.  In  behalf  of  the  missionaries  of 
the  Welsh  district,  I  thank  you  for  the 
Era. — Raymond  Murphy,  district  pres- 
ident. 


Missionaries,  left  to  right,  front  row:  H.  J.  Butcher.  Ogden ;  Hjlliard  L.  Rose.  Hyrum. 
Raymond  Murphy,  outgoing  president,  Salt  Lake  City;  Nathaniel  E.  Parry,  incoming  pres- 
ident. Manti:  Noble  L.  Chambers.  Smithfield.  Back  row:  Weston  W.  Taylor.  Salt  Lake 
City;  A.  J.- Anderson,  Fairview,  all  of  Utah. 

The  Latter-day  Saints'  Maori  Agricultural  College 


The  faculty  and  student  body  of  the 
Maori  Agricultural  College.  Hastings",  N. 
Z.,  join  in  sending  their  greetings  to  the 
saints  in  Zion.  The  blessings  of  the  Lord 
are  felt  so  profusely  on  all  sides),  that  we 
indeed  feel  as  part  of  God's  chosen  people. 
We  feel  as  co-partners  with  the  Latter-day 
Saints  dwelling  in  Zion,  in  furthering  the 
cause  of  truth  and  righteousness  to  all  na- 
tions,   tongues   and    people.      We   are   just 


now  nearing  a  successful  school  year  from 
every  standpoint.  Five  stalwart  youths  of 
the  Polynesian  race  will  graduate  from  the 
school  this  spring,  which  means  that  their 
people  will  have  five  more  young  men  of 
sterling  character,  of  intelligent  aptitude, 
and  with  it  all,  a  burning  testimony  of 
the  gospel  of  Christ  to  lead  and  direct  them 
and  enable  them  to  act  as  shining  lights 
among    their    own    people.      The    district 


160 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


presidents  throughout  the  mission  report 
that  many  of  the  outstanding  leaders  and 
zealous  workers  in  their  districts  are 
Alumni  of  the  M.  A.  C.  The  college 
is  expanding  and  the  territory  we  are  now 
serving,  is  far  and  wide.  We  have  rep- 
resented at  the  school  six  nationalities: 
Maori,  Hawaiian,  Samoan,  Tongan,  Tahi- 
tian,  and  European.  The  major  purpose 
of  the  college  is  to  inculcate  within  its 
students   an   everlasting,    ardent   testimony 


of  the  divinity  of  the  work  of  the  Lord 
as  interpreted  by  the  Latter-day  Saints,  and 
a  desire  to  promulgate  with  ability  that 
testimony — the  knowledge  of  God's  plan 
of  salvation, — to  their  own  people.  We 
have  an  excellent  opportunity  indirectly 
to  teach  the  gospel  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  South  Sea  Archipelago,  through  this 
means. — Maori  Agricultural  College,  Alten 
Christensen,  secretary. 


Above:  The  Maori  Agricultural  College  student  band.  Below,  the  faculty,  left  to  right. 
front:  Annie  Mcllroy,  matron:  Sister  A.  S.  Ballif  and  young  son  Alfred  S..  Junior;  A.  S. 
Ballif,  principal:  President  J.  Howard  Jenkins,  of  the  New  Zealand  mission;  Sister  and 
Brother  H.  L.  Manwaring.  Back:  Elders  Richard  Marsh;  W.  V.  Fuller;  Alten  Christensen; 
E.  C.  Allen:  E.  S.  Palmer;  J.  R.  Stephens  and  S.  F.  Jensen. 


MESSAGES   FROM   THE  MISSIONS 


In  Holland's  Rainy  Lowlands 


With  pep  and  courage  the  missionaries 
of  the  Amsterdam  district  are  entering  into 
their  work.  The  people  are  being  ap- 
proached from  many  different  angles,  and 
the  seeds  of  truth  are  sown  by  the  elders 
and  touched  with  life  by  our  heavenly 
Father  and  his  promises,  resulting  in  growth 
and  harvest.  During  the  past  two  months. 
1 8  souls  have  been  led  into  the  fold 
through  the  doors  of  baptism.  Ways  are 
being  opened  through  which  the  message 
of    life    can    be    put    before    many    people. 


Street  and  park  meetings  are  being  held 
regularly  in  most  of  the  branches,  a  privi- 
lege which  has  not  heretofore  been  en- 
joyed. President  James  E.  Talmage  was 
in  attendance  at  our  recent  conference,  and 
gave  the  elders  and  the  people  present 
much  food  for  thought.  We  pray  for 
continued  success  in  the  work  of  the  Lord, 
both  in  the  mission  field  and  in  the  stakes 
of  Zion.  We  are  thankful  for  the  splen- 
did missionary,  "The  Improvement  Era." 
— Rupert  Racsten,  Amsterdam,   Holland. 


Llders  sitting,  left  to  right:      Rcinder  Springer,  Rupert  Ravsten,  district  president,    (released) 
John  P.  Lillywhite,  president  of  the  Netherlands  mission:  Henry  Hansen:  Frank  E.  Mitchell 
Washburn  M.  Chipman.     Standing:     George  A.  Grover,  Fred  W.  Nrubold:  Ralph  A.  Watson 
Preston    B.   Williams;    David   G.   Thomas;    John    Van    Haren:    Seiger   Springer;    Merrill    L. 
Peterson;   Lenord  W.  M.  Dalebout;   S.   Reed  Andrus:   Ray  J.   Hutchinson,  incoming  district 
president:  Dan  Van  Kampcn  and  Daniel  Simmons. 

Organizations  Flourishing 


On  September  4,  at  Monterey,  Cali- 
fornia, p:ople  from  five  towns  gathered 
to  hear  San  Jose  district  missionaries,  and 
especially  President  Jos.  W.  McMurrin 
of  the  California  mission.  One-third  were 
non-members  of  the  Church,  curious  to 
attend  a  "Mormon"  conference.  All 
seemed  greatly  impressed,  even  the  Method- 
ist  minister   who  occupied   a   seat   on   the 


front  row.  He  said  afterwards  that  Pres- 
ident McMurrin's  speech  made  him  think 
of  Agrippa's  answer  to  Paul:  "Almost 
thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Christian." 
The  Relief  Society  sisters  served  a  luncheon 
and  supper.  The  Primary  and  the  Relief 
Society  have  developed  so  splendidly  that 
their  reports  merited  the  praise  they  re- 
ceived.      Half    of    the    members    of    the 


162 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


Primary  are  children  of  investigators. 
Recently  a  program  was  given  on  which 
the  children  cleared  fifty  dollars,  the 
largest  sum  ever  made  by  a  Primary  or- 
ganization in  California.  President 
McMurrin  complimented  the  branch  on  the 
selection  of  hymns  and  musical  numbers 
which  were  sung.  He  said  the  selection 
was  the  best  he  had  heard  at  any  confer- 


ence. Our  Sunday  school  is  growing 
consistently.  We  lack  our  own  house  in 
which  to  meet,  but  a  fund  has  been  started, 
and  we  hope  soon  to  see  the  materializa- 
tion of  our  desires  in  the  form  of  a  chapel 
which  can  be  dedicated  to  the  Lord  whom 
we  serve. — Eva  Gunther,  Ruth  Ellsworth. 
D.  J.  Fugal,  Monterey,  California. 


First  Conference,  Rhur  District 


On  October  22-23,  the  Rhur  district  of 
the  Swiss-German  mission  held  its  first 
conference.  This  district  was  created  in 
May  of  this  year,  when  it  was  divided 
from  the  old  Cologne  conference,  the 
majority  of  the  members  being  in  the 
new  district.  The  conference  meetings 
were  held  in  Essen,  and  President  Hugh 
J.  Cannon  was  present  at  all.  Before  the 
main  meetings  of  the  conference,  special 
meetings  were  held  in  Duisburg,  Gelsen- 
kirchen,  and  Bochum,  all  of  which  are 
new    fields,     and    the    number    of    friends 


present  was  most  gratifying.  The  general 
meetings  were  all  very  well  attended  by 
both  Saints  and  investigators.  All  of  the 
missionaries  of  the  district  were  called  on 
to  speak  in  the  meetings,  some  of  the  elders 
have  been  here  only  two  or  three  months, 
but  their  German  was  very  good,  as  was 
their  spirit,  new  and  old,  and  all  went 
away  from  the  conference  well  repaid  for 
attending,  and  filled  with  the  gospel  mes- 
sage. The  Lord  is  blessing  our  work  on 
the  Rhur,  and  we  are  making  good  pro- 
gress.— Geo.  Albert  Smith,  Jr. 


*  f    '  $ 


.*  *  -I;  f 


<+&* 


Front  row,  sitting:  T.  Kenneth  Biesinger,  Louis  M.  Burgener.  Geo.  Albert  Smith,  Jr., 
pres.  Ruhr  district;  Hugh  J.  Cannon,  mission  president.  Salt  Lake:  Leon  B.  Linford,  pres. 
Cologne  district,  Logan;  John  Stringham,  Salt  Lake.  Standing:  Friedrich  Kalt,  Frankfurt. 
Germany;  John  C.  Jenkins.  Salt  Lake:  Howard  M.  Ballif.  Whitney.  Idaho;  Norman  C. 
Pierce,  Springville,  Utah;  Samuel  C.  Worthington.  Boise.  Idaho;  Geo.  K.  Casto,  Washington. 
D.  C. ;  Waldo  R.  Frandsen,  Price.  Utah;  Clyde  L.  Broadbent,  Heber  City,  Utah:  J.  Kenneth 
Kingdon.  Salt  Lake;  Edward  M-  Richins.  Henefer,  Utah, 


MESSAGES   FROM  THE   MISSIONS 


.63 


European  Mission  Presidents  Hold  Conference 


A  conference  of  the  presidents  of  the 
several  European  missions  was  held  at 
Dresden,  Germany,  during  the  week  of 
September  4-11.  It  was  called  by  President 
James  E.  Talmage  of  the  European  mission 
who  presided  over  the  meetings.  Subjects 
of  vital  interest  were  thoroughly  discussed 
and  many  problems  confronting  the  several 
missions  were  carefully  handled,  and  plans 
tormulated  and  suggestions  offered  where- 
by such  obstacles  may  be  overcome.  While 
the  brethren  were  thus  busy,  the  sisters 
met  under  the  direction  of  Sister  May 
Booth  Talmage,  and  the  Relief  Society 
and  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A.  work  was  handled. 
A   feature  of  the  conference  was  a   trip  to 


Meissen,  the  birthplace  of  the  late  Karl 
G.  Maeser.  A  very  instructive  visit  was 
made  later  through  the  pottery  works  of 
the  Dresden  Porcelain  manufacturing  com- 
pany where  the  famous  Dresden  china  is 
made.  President  and  Sister  Valentine  had 
a  very  satisfactory  way  of  taking  care  of 
their  visitors,  both  in  providing  meals  and 
in  giving  entertaining  programs  presented 
by  the  auxiliary  organizations  of  the  Dres- 
den branch.  The  closing  meeting  of  the 
session  was  joint  with  the  sisters  and  was 
devoted  to  bearing  testimonies.  The  con- 
ference closed  by  President  Talmage  invok- 
ing the  blessings  of  the  Lord  upon  those 
gathered  and  upon  the  missions. 


Sitling:  President  Andrew  Johnson.  Swedish  mission;  President  Hugh  J.  Cannon.  Swiss- 
German  mission;  President  James  E.  Talmage,  British  and  European  mission;  President 
Hyrum  W.  Valentine,  German-Austrian  mission:  President  John  P.  Lillywhite.  Netherlands 
mission;  President  Joseph  L.  Petersen,  Danish  mission.  Standing:  President  Ernest  C. 
Rossiter,  French  mission.  Sisters  Venus  Rossiter,  Sarah  R.  Cannon,  May  Booth  Talmage. 
Rose  Ellen  Valentine,  Lillian  B.  Lillywhite.  Ida  Petersen.  President  Lorenzo  W.  Anderson, 
Norwegian  mission. 


Law  Observance 

There  are  civil,  moral,  and  religious 
laws.  There  are  family  laws  and  regula- 
tions. There  are  the  two  great  laws  which 
our  Savior  emphasized  and  which  embrace 
all  the  others: 

"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  first 
and  great  commandment.  And  the  second 
is  like  unto  it.  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself.  On  these  two  command- 
ments hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets." 

Only  through  love  and  obedience  in  the 
individual  can  laws  be  observed  by  him. 
If  he  loves  the  law  he  will  observe  it. 
No  man  can  be  a  law  unto  himself  and 
succeed.  He  must  conform  to  the  regula- 
tions that  are  established  in  civilized 
society,  for  the  protection  of  all.  His 
liberty  must  be  within  these  laws,  and 
must  encompass  the  good  of  his  fellows. 
To  these  laws  he  must  render  the  service 
of  obedience. 

At  the  late  conference  of  the  Church, 
the  present  need  of  law  observance  was 
strongly  emphasized.  President  Anthony 
W.  Ivins  called  attention  to  the  wise  and 
just  laws  of  our  country,  and  that  while 
laws  may  have  been  enacted  which  were 
in  a  sense  undesirable,  there  is  a  way  pro- 
vided by  which  they  may  be  abrogated  or 
amended,  and  that,  not  law-breaking,  is 
the  proper  mode  of  procedure.  He  then 
continued: 

"Now  what  is  the  necessity  of  calling 
attention  to  this  matter  at  this  particular 
time?  I  believe  that  we  know  that  the 
necessity  does  exist.  You  only  need  to 
read  the  reports  that  come  to  us  from 
the  various  parts  of  the  United  States,  and 
from  our  own  state  and  county.  There  is 
sufficient  evidence  to  demonstrate  that 
lawlessness  is  running  riot.  Men  go, 
boldly  and  unmasked,  and  shoot  their  way 
into    the    treasure-houses    of    this   country, 


killing,  if  law-abiding  men  stand  in  the 
way,  in  order  that  they  may  carry  away 
that  which  does  not  belong  to  them.  Men 
violate,  unblushingly,  the  laws  of  chastity 
and  virtue,  which  are  the  very  foundations 
upon  which  all  good  governments  may 
stand.  Men  holding  public  office  violate 
that  trust  which  has  been  reposed  in  them 
by  the  people,  and  themselves  stand  out 
violators  of  the  very  law  that  they  are 
appointed  to  magnify  and  uphold.  Only 
this  morning  you  who  read  the  papers  saw 
an  account  of  one  of  the  most  atrocious 
crimes  that  could  be  perpetrated,  said  to 
have  been  perpetrated  by  an  official  who 
has  been  appointed  to  administer  the  law, 
not  to  violate  it,  in  which  at  a  threat  of 
life  he  takes  a  woman  into  an  automobile, 
carries  her  away  to  a  secluded  place,  and 
there  keeps  her  during  the  entire  night.  I 
have  passed  a  good  part  of  my  life  among 
uncivilized  people.  I  have  been  with  In- 
dian tribes  from  the  Canadian  border  to 
the  interior  of  Mexico,  and  I  have  never 
in  my  experience  encountered  a  tribe  of 
Indians  who  would  tolerate  lawlessness  of 
this  character  in  the  indifferent  manner 
that  we  do.  Men  are  arrested,  prosecution 
is  sought,  the  best  legal  talent  available 
is  called  in  for  their  defense,  and  there  is 
scarcely  one  chance  in  ten  that  they  will 
be  convicted.  Witnesses  unblushingly  per- 
jure themselves,  while  attorneys  who  pose 
as  respectable  members  of  society,  with 
full  knowledge  of  the  fact,  encourage  them 
in  it. 

"I  speak  plainly  upon  this  subject,  be- 
cause it  appears  to  me  to  be  vital  to  our 
welfare.  I  do  not  direct  my  remarks  to 
Latter-day  Saints  alone,  but  to  the  people 
of  all  creeds,  profession  of  faith,  or  of 
no  faith  at  all.  I  know  that  politics  has 
been  held  up  to  us  as  a  thing  so  sacred 
that  the  Church  has  nothing  to  do  with  it, 
and  should  not  refer  to  it.  I  ask  you. 
in  heaven's  name,  what  is  the  calling  of 
the  Church  if  it  is  not  to  oppose  lawless- 


EDITOR'S   TABLE 


165 


ness  and  crime,  and  seek  to  establish  right- 
eousness; if  it  is  not  to  stand  firmly  for 
the  proper  administration  of  the  law,  and 
to  oppose  violation  of  it  that  peace  and 
prosperity  may  abide  with  the  people  of 
our  country,  which  can  be  had  under  no 
other   conditions? 

"I  wish  that  the  people  of  the  world 
could  be  made  familiar  with  the  contents 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  this  American 
scripture  which  has  been  before  the  world 
during  a  century  of  time.  It  outlines  the 
destiny  of  this  nation,  tells  it  as  plainly 
as  history  will  tell  it  after  its  destiny  is 
accomplished.  It  makes  very  plain  this 
fact:  That  if  the  government  is  to  be 
perpetuated,  as  it  may,  if  it  is  to  endure 
as  God  has  decreed  that  it  may,  it  can  only 
be  by  service  to  the  God  of  the  land,  who 
is  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord  and  Master. 
That  is  definitely  decreed. 

"I  appeal  to  good  people  everywhere, 
not  to  any  political  party,  not  to  any 
particular  church,  but  to  all  people,  to 
use  their  influence  to  bring  to  pass  right- 
eousness in  the  administration  of  the  civil 
affairs  of  our  country,  and  I  make  this 
appeal  to  both  the  church  and  the  state, 
for  both  need  it." 

Elder  David  O.   McKay  said: 

"There  is  much  being  said  now  about 
the  law  prohibiting  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  liquor.  Latter-day  Saints  should 
uphold  that  law  everywhere,  at  socials, 
at  banquets.  Civil  officers,  members  of 
clubs,  who  are  contributing  to  the  forma- 
tion of  public  opinion  ought  to  be  proud 
to  uphold  that  law.  It  is  a  constitutional 
law.  and  it  is  time  that  the  leaders  of  this 
country,  the  politicians,  the  statesmen,  the 
leaders  in  civic  affairs  in  the  state  and  in 
the  cities  should  so  speak  of  this  law.  so 
act  towards  it,  that  public  sentiment  would 
be  turned  in  favor  of  its  enforcement. 
Latter-day  Saints,  we  are  expected  to  up- 
hold it  and  to  uphold  every  other  law 
which  contributes  to  the  advancement  and 
peace  of  mankind.  And  these  laws  against 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating 
liquors  are  such  laws,  and  our  conditions 
now  in  society,  with  millions  of  auto- 
mobiles, the  drivers  of  which  must  be  at 
their  very  best,   active  mentally,   quick  to 


respond  physically  in  emergency,  make  it 
necessary  that  we  eliminate  from  society 
anything  that  will  becloud  the  brain  or 
leave  the  driver's  hand  unsteady.  We  are 
living  in  a  condition  in  which  we  cannot 
with  impunity  foster  traffic  in  intoxicat- 
ing liquors.  God  said  long  ago  that  they 
were  not  good  for  man.  Our  boys  and 
girls,  from  the  standpoint  of  integrity  and 
consistency,  should  take  a  stand  against  the 
use  thereof." 

The  coming  holidays  is  a  good  time  to 
put  these  admonitions  into  real  practice. 
—A. 

Dependable  Workers  Wanted 

Apparently  little  things  go  to  make  up 
character — at  least,  what  some  consider 
little  things.  Take  for  example  in  Y.  M. 
M.  I.  A. — we  have  about  one  thousand 
young  men  who  act  as  secretaries — 96 
stake  and  about  900  ward  secretaries  serv- 
ing in  this  capacity.  Their  business  is  to 
record  the  simple  facts  and  forward  them 
as  required  in  the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  monthly 
efficiency  and  statistical  reports.  Of  the 
96  stake  secretaries.  48  have  reported  for 
October;  and  of  the  459  wards  in  those 
reported  stakes,  340  ward  secretaries  re- 
ported, leaving  119  wards  not  reported  in 
the  stakes  in  question,  besides  all  the  wards 
in  the  stakes  that  are  unreported.  Eleven 
stakes  have  reported  every  ward;  (See 
report)  while  560  wards  of  the  900  -axe 
not  reported.  Since  this  was  written  four 
stakes  with  44  ards  have  reported  34 
wards. 

A  worried  stake  secretary  writes: 
"There  seems  to  be  a  lack  of  responsi- 
bility on  the  part  of  ward  officers  in  our 
stake.  Although  appeals  and  notices  have 
been  sent  to  the  ward  presidents  and  secre- 
taries, only  three  wards  of  the  eleven  in 
our  stake  reported  in  time  to  be  included 
in  this  report.  It  will  probably  be  the 
poorest  showing  in  the  Church,  but  I 
thought  it  advisable  to  send  it  in.  and  at 
the  same  time  ask  for  some  advice.  Can 
you  suggest  means  of  getting  these  effi- 
ciency reports  from  the  ward  organiza- 
tions? Appeals  have  been  made  at  monthly 
union  meetings,  by  letter,  and  by  personal 


166 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


visits.  We  are  now  at  a  loss  to  find  some 
method  of  bringing  them  in.  *  *  * 
Material  for  officers  other  than  that  which 
we  are  using,  is  not  available." 

We  were  about  to  suggest  that  you  ob- 
tain dependable  officers,  but  you  close  your 
letter  by  saying  that  men  other  than 
those  you  are  now  using,  are  not  available, 
in  which  case  there  is  nothing  to  do  but 
to  call  the  present  officers  to  repentance. 
Endeavor  to  show  them  the  serious- 
ness of  refusal  or  neglect  to  do  their 
work.  Neglect  will  lead  them  to  slight 
other  Mutual  work,  omit  to  pray,  to  pay 
their  tithing,  to  attend  their  sacrament 
meetings,  their  business  or  other  work.  A 
young  man  who  cannot  be  depended  upon 
to  do  so  small  a  job  as  making  out  the 
efficiency  report  of  the  Mutual  of  his  ward 
each  month,  is  a  very  poor  candidate  for 
any  job  in  business,  on  the  farm,  in 
the  home,  or  in  the  Church.  Of  course, 
if  he  is  going  to  choose  to  be  a  slacker  in 
these  respects,  one  cannot  expect  anything 
better  of  him  in  the  M.  I.  A.,  but  if  he 
expects   to   be   a    man,    a    dependable   man. 


one  who  should  count  for  something,  and 
do  something  in  the  world,  he  ought  to 
show  it  in  this  little  responsibility  of  re- 
porting the  Mutual  each  month  in  his 
ward,  and  which  undoubtedly  he  promised 
to  do  when  he  took  upon  him  the  office. 

There  is  no  other  successful  way  of 
having  a  thing  done,  than  to  do  it,  or, 
to  get  men  to  do  it  whom  you  can  depend 
upon.  If  you  cannot  substitute  the  men. 
you  must  call  them  to  repentance,  change 
their  attitude,  and  impress  upon  them  the 
need  of  dependability.  Their  action  in 
thia  duty  is  the  basis  of  what  they  will 
do  in  other  things;  it  is  a  point  in  their 
career  that  should  not  show  neglect,  if 
they  desire  to  build  a  character  that  is 
worth  while  in  the  world. 

When  men  are  appointed  to  office,  they 
should  be  aked  if  they  are  willing  to  take 
upon  themselves  the  work  of  this  office, 
and  then  the  work  and  what  is  required 
should  be  thoroughly  explained  to  them. 
Dependability  in  all  one  promises  to  do 
great   or   small    is   fundamental. — A. 


"His  Blood  Be  Upon  Us  and  Our  Children" 

Since  Christ  was  killed  by  members  of  his  race, 

The  curse  of  God  descended  on  their  seed. 
His  favored  blessings  on  their  home-land  to  efface, 

And  reap  full  vengeance  for  that  treacherous  deed. 

After  the  siege,   the  Roman  sword  held  sway; 

In  lieu  of  wise-men  from  the  East,  the  Moslems  sought  a  home; 
Where  once  the  debris  of  a  ruined  temple  lay. 

The  Mosque  of  Omar  lifts  its  Oriental  dome. 

In  foreign  lands,  the  mercenary  Jew  plied  his  trade. 
Where  universal  hate,  engendered  by  his  greed, 

Has  of  that  tribe  a  race  of  exiles  made; 

The  curse  of  God  has  been  upon  their  seed. 


The  British  troop  dispersed  the  foreign  guard. 

The  Gentile  yoke  is  lifted  from  Mount  Zion. 
The  Jews,  returning  to  the  home-land  of  the  Lord 

Shall  build  anew  that  eastern  Zion. 


Btaver.  Utah. 


E.  CECIL  MCGAVIN 


All  matters  pertaining  to  the  Aaronic  Prie 
under  the  direction  of  the  Presiding  Bishopric. 

Ward  Supervision 

"Duties  of  Ward  Supervisors  of  Aaronic 
Priesthood,"  Presented  at  the  Bishops' 
Meeting,  October  8,  1927,  by  Fred  Ab- 
bott, Supervisor,  Ninth  ward,  Mt.  Ogden 
stake. 

This  is  how  the  Lesser  Priesthood  Com- 
mittee are  functioning  in  the  Ninth  ward. 
We  have  a  supervisor  working  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  bishop  and  the  priests.  The 
bishop  presides  over  the  priests,  and  the 
supervisor  is  there  with  the  bishop.  If. 
for  any  reason,  the  bishop  cannot  attend 
the  meeting,  the  supervisor  is  sure  to  be 
present  to  take  charge  of  the  work.  While 
the  counselors  in  the  bishopric  do  not 
teach,  the  first  counselor  has  general  charge 
of  the  deacons,  the  second  counselor  of 
the  teachers,  and  a  supervisor  is  appointed 
for  each  of  the  quorums  of  the  teachers 
and  deacons.  The  priesthood  is  there- 
fore never  left  without  somebody  to  take 
charge. 

The  duties  of  the  supervising  committee 
never  replace  the  duties  and  responsibilities 
of  the  presidencies  of  the  different 
quorums.  When  a  supervisor  enters  a  de- 
partment he  takes  a  back  seat  and  all  the 
importance  and  prominence  possible  is 
given  to  that  quorum.  The  president  or 
one  of  the  counselors  takes  charge.  He 
makes  the  announcements,  and  the  assign- 
ments, in  a  systematic  manner,  and  the 
supervisor  is  a  silent  member  while  this 
is  going  on.  The  boy  presiding  calls  on 
members  to  open  and  close  the  meeting, 
checks  up  the  assignments  made,  and  has 
charge  generally  of  the  preliminary  exer- 
cises.    Then  the  supervisor  takes  charge. 

It  is  the  business  of  the  supervisor  to 
promote  order  and  system  in  every  phase 
of  the  class  exercises.  Recently  we  had  a 
meeting  of  importance,  and  all  the  super- 
visors and  the  bishopric  were  in  this  meet- 
ing, leaving  all  the  priesthood  quorums 
without  supervisors.  All  of  the  quorums, 
with  one  exception,    conducted   themselves 


thood  presented  under  this  heading,  are  prepared 

in  an  orderly  way  and  carried  on  their 
lessons.  The  supervisors  need  to  train 
the  quorums  to  carry  on  effectively  under 
any  conditions.  The  latter  part  of  sec- 
tion 121  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants 
is  a  measuring  stick  for  the  priesthood.  We 
should  maintain  the  spirit  therein  described 
in   all  of  our  relations. 

At  every  sacramental  meeting  one  mem- 
ber of  the  priesthood  is  given  an  assign- 
ment to  present  a  topic.  It  is  just  a  little 
difficult  sometimes  to  get  the  boys  to  do 
that.  Some  of  the  boys  say,  "I  cannot 
do  it."  Then  we  say,  "If  you  cannot 
do  it.  alright;  but  if  the  other  fellow  does 
it,  not  many  weeks  will  pass  before  you 
can  do  it,  if  you  try."  Some  of  the 
boys  who  have  refused,  have  come  later 
and  said.  "I  will  be  glad  to  take  my  turn." 
The  reason  for  this  is  that  in  the  open- 
ing sacramental  meeting  a  good  influence 
is  created.  It  brings  out  the  very  best 
that  is  in  the  boy  and  he  stands  up  and 
gives  it  to  the  people.  He  is  on  his  honor 
that  he  will  do  certain  things.  After  it 
is  all  over,  he  will  think  about  what  he 
has  said  and  ponder,  "Well.  I  have  said 
things  and  must  make  good.  I  cannot 
disappoint  the  people."  Under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  will  say 
things  that  will  bind  him  to  the  cause.  I 
recommend  strongly  this  practice.  It  will 
give  the  boy  a  needed  training. 

One  or  two  things,  we  are  doing  on 
the  outside.  The  street  car  company  in 
Ogden  has  been  taking  up  ties  and  doing 
a  lot  of  repair  work  on  Washington 
avenue.  These  ties  arc  excellent  for 
kindling  wood.  I  asked  the  foreman  if 
I  could  have  one  or  two  hundred  of  these 
ties.  He  said,  "Sure."  The  ties  are  now 
up  at  the  Church.  The  priesthood  super- 
visors will  fix  up  a  saw.  operate  it  by 
a  Ford  auto-motor,  and  saw  the  wood  into 
blocks.  The  boys  will  then  split  it  into 
kindling  wood,  and  distribute  it  to  the 
widows  in  the  ward.  Every  deserving 
widow,  whether  in  the  Church  or  not,  will 


IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


get  a  share.  There  are  some  families  in 
the  ward  whose  gates  have  never  been 
opened  to  the  ward  teachers.  But  when 
the  gates  are  opened  for  the  kindling  wood, 
they  will  open  more  easily  to  the  ward 
teachers.  The  boys  doing  this  will  get 
much  joy  out  of  it.  They  will  appre- 
ciate it,  because  they  are  rendering  service. 
I  was  formerly  president  of  an  elders' 
quorum,  and  I  saw  in  the  ward  a  number 
of  honest  men  with  families  of  good  chil- 
dren. These  men  had  habits  which  kept 
them  from  Church.  I  said  to  the  brethren 
in  charge  of  the  Lesser  Priesthood,  "If 
you  have  no  objection  I  would  like  to 
keep  an  auxiliary  roll  of  men  in  the  ward 
and  invite  them  to  attend  the  elders' 
quorum  meeting."  I  found  possibly 
twenty-four  in  all,  some  of  whom  may  not 
even  have  been  deacons.  When  I  called  on 
these  men  and  asked  them  to  come  to 
priesthood  meeting,  I  had  to  make  prom- 
ises that  I  would  not  call  on  them  to 
do  anything.  Well,  these  brethren  came. 
The  only  way  I  could  get  them  to  take 
part  was  to  discuss  things  in  which  they 
were    interested. 

I  went  up  to  one  man,  and  as  I  took 
hold  of  his  arm  I  felt  a  package  of  to- 
bacco in  his  pocket.  I  talked  to  him  in  a 
frank,  but  friendly  way.  He  didn't  get 
angry.  I  knew  he  wouldn't.  I  said, 
"You  have  an  excellent  wife  and  a  mighty 
fine  oldest  boy, — one  of  the  best  in  the 
community.  Are  you  satisfied  with  your 
position  and  with  what  you  are  doing?" 
He  said,  "No;  I  am  ashamed  of  myself." 
I  said,  "You  are  only  a  deacon.  You  are 
a  strong  young  man.  You  don't  need 
to  smoke."  He  said,  "It  is  the  hardest 
thing  in  the  world  to  quit."  In  about 
four  months  I  saw  him  again  and  smilingly 
said,  "What  have  you  got  there?"  He 
said,  "I  have  the  same  package  I  had  when 
you  spoke  to  me,  and  I  haven't  smoked 
since;  and,  furthermore,  I  am  confident 
I  will  never  take  another  smoke."  "I 
knew  you  could  do  it,"  I  replied.  "Now, 
the  next  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  be 
worthy  to  receive  the  Melchizedek  Priest- 
hood, get  a  temple  recommend,  and  have 
your  wife  and  children  sealed  to  you." 
After  four  or  five  months  he  had  his 
family  sealed  to  him  and  he  is  now  a  ward 


teacher  and  is  as  happy  as  can  be.  That 
is  only  one  of  twenty  or  more  instances. 
Labor  must  be  made  to  get  them  from 
the  Aaronic  into  the  Melchizedek  Priest- 
hood. 

Another  thing,  any  time  you  feel  you 
are  a  little  too  important  to  get  hold  of 
a  boy's  hand  because  he  is  smoking,  you 
are  wrong.  I  suggest  that  you  get  hold 
of  the  boy.  Tell  him  he  is  welcome,  even 
if  he  is  smoking.  Tolerate  it.  Pave  the 
way  for  the  day  when  you  can  lead  him 
into  security  and  right  living.  You  can't 
do  these  things  in  a  day.  You  can't  do 
them  in  a  month.  Sometimes  it  takes  a 
year  of  patience  and  waiting.  When  the 
time  comes  to  reprove  him,  do  it,  but 
don't  let  him  get  away  from  you.  Make 
him  feel  that  you  are  his  friend  lest  he 
count  you  his  enemy. 

Work  diligently  and  you  will  get  good 
results.  I  promise  you  it  will  be  the 
happiest  time  in  your  lives. 

Field  Notes 

Pioneer  Stake  Progress:  Pioneer  stake 
has  adopted  the  slogan  "Make  Pioneer 
stake  better  through  the  Priesthood,"  and 
since  that  time  a  consistent  effort  has  been 
made  to  improve  the  work  and  increase 
the  efficiency  of  the  various  quorums  of 
the  priesthood. 

Progress  has  been  made  in  the  quorums 
of  the  Melchizedek  priesthood,  but  the 
greatest  advancement  is  noted  in  the 
Aaronic  priesthood.  Pioneer  stake  has  put 
into  effect  the  program  for  Aaronic  priest- 
hood work  as  outlined  by  the  Presiding 
Bishopric.  An  Aaronic  priesthood  com- 
mittee has  been  appointed  in  each  ward 
under  the  direction  of  the  assignments  of 
the  three  grades  of  this  priesthood.  The 
stake  committee  is  comprised  of  a  member 
of  the  stake  presidency  and  six  members  of 
the  high  council.  This  committee  is  di- 
vided into  two  corps  and  visits  two  wards 
each  Monday  night  for  the  purpose  of 
supervii'ngs  the  activities  of  the  Aaronic 
priesthcjd  in  the  various  wards  of  the 
stake.  Particular  attention  is  given  to  the 
problem  of  adult  members  of  the  Church 
who  are  still  enrolled  in  one  of  the  grades 
of  the  Aaronic   priesthood,    and   a   special 


PRIESTHOOD    QUORUMS 


169 


effort  is  being  made  to  urge  the  attend- 
ance of  these  men  with  a  view  of  prepar- 
ing them  for  advancement. 

A  spirit  of  agreeable  cooperation  pre- 
vails between  the  wards  and  the  stake,  and 
as  a  result  of  this  cooperation  and  the 
efficient  supervision  of  the  work  by  the 
stake  committee,  an  average  attendance  of 
28%  of  the  record  membership  has  been 
maintained  during  the  nine  months  ofthe 
year  1927. 

Emphasis  is  being  placed  upon  advance- 
ment in  the  priesthood,  as  a  result  of  merit 
rather  than  having  such  advancements 
made  according  to  ages.  Bishops  of  wards 
have  been  asked  to  closely  examine  all 
young  men  as  to  their  knowledge  of  the 
gospel,  and  to  inspect  the  records  of  as- 
signments filled,  and  the  attendance  at 
quorum  meetings,  to  satisfy  themselves  that 
candidates  for  promotion  are  qualified  for 
the  proposed  advancement.  This  policy 
is  stimulating  young  men  to  more  con- 
sistent effort  and  a  study  of  the  class  work 
than  has  heretofore  prevailed. 

While  there  may  be  nothing  unusual 
in  the  program  of  this  stake,  the  success 
obtained   is  the  result  of  several  years  of 


consistent  hard  work  on  the  part  of  stake 
and  ward  officers  in  bringing  the  con- 
ditions prevailing  in  the  Aaronic  priest- 
hood to  a  reasonable  degree  of  success. 

Aaronic  Priesthood  Party,  Blackfoot 
Stake.  The  annual  party  for  the  Lesser 
priesthood  was  held  at  the  Blackfoot  stake 
tabernacle,  Wednesday  evening,  October 
19,  1927.  The  committee  in  charge  of 
the  party  consisted  of  A.  A.  Bingham. 
Ray  E.  Merkley,  A.  N.  Allred,  A.  D. 
Jacklin,  and  Egin  Lamprecht,  all  stake 
workers  in  the  priesthood.  A  short  but 
pleasing  program  was  rendered  and  at  the 
close  of  the  program  the  remainder  of  the 
evening  was  spent  in  dancing.  Prizes 
were  awarded  for  the  best  dancers  in  the 
deacons',  teachers',  priests',  and  bishops' 
classes.  Light  refreshments  were  served  to 
about  350  guests. 

Social  Activities.  Reports  for  the  nine 
months  show  that  special  activities  were 
reported  for  only  sixteen  stakes  for  the 
Aaronic  priesthood  quorums  during  the 
past  three  months.  These  have  consisted 
of  such  outings  as  swim,  melon  feeds, 
desert  picnics,  baseball  gameg,  contests,  pio- 
neer day  celebration,  excursions,  etc. 


Fairest  Visions 

Too  soon  are  gone  the  glories  of  the  day, 
Too  soon   the  sun  sinks  in  the  golden  west, 

The  flowers  and  sky  are  turned  to  dullest  grey, 
And  gloomy  seems  all  Nature  when  at  rest. 

But  though  my  eyes  may  miss  the  pleasing  sight. 

Across  my  soul  the  shadows  do  not  fall, 
For  visions  come  that  bring  me  warmth  and  light 

And  weave  a  rose-hued  glamour  over  all. 

The  fairest  sights  are  seen,  not  with  the  eyes, 
But  with  the  mind  in  imagery  sublime, 

We  need  not  for  lost  beauties  vainly  sigh, 

When  powers  to  store  the  best  increase  with  time. 


Raymond,  Canada. 


HELEN   KIMBALL   ORGILL 


MpJJTOAL 


What  to  do  in  December 


The  Drama,  one  of  the  big  recreational 
events  on  the  regular  M.  I.  A.  program, 
may  be  given  in  any  month,  but  where  it 
is  convenient  and  the  proper  preparations 
have  been  made,  the  Drama  should  be 
given  in  December  and  should  fit  in  with 
the  general  year-round  recreation  program 
of  stake  or  ward,  and  should  be  presented 
on  some  other  night  than  Tuesday.  For 
particulars  concerning  the  list  of  plays  and 
other  items  relating  to  the  matter  see: 
M.  I.  A.  Year-round  Program,  page  21- 
22. 

The  efficiency  report  blank  should  be 
carefully  checked  by  the  officers  and  a 
proper  report  made.  Attention  to  this 
report  is  one  of  the  most  effective  means 


of  stimulating  good  work  in  your  asso- 
ciation. At  the  Union  meeting,  this 
month,  attention  should  be  called  to  this1 
item,  and  the  general  interest  of  the  officers 
solicited.  At  the  June  conference,  1928, 
an  award  will  be  made  to  all  stakes  who 
obtain  for  one  or  more  months  100% 
efficiency  in  their  reports.  Entire  stake 
organizations  should  be  encouraged  to  co- 
operate in  making  this  record.  Executive 
officers,  including  the  secretaries,  should 
cooperate  in  seeing  that  proper  records  and 
reports  are  made  promptly. 

Class  work,  of  course,  should  be  looked 
into  and  carried  out  with  enthusiasm  dur- 
ing the  month. 

Look  also  to  the  completion  of  the 
canvass  for  Era  subscriptions. 


After-Mutual  Dances 


At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  General 
Boards  in  joint  assembly,  a  motion  was 
carried,  re-affirming  the  original  position 
of  the  General  Boards,  relating  to  After- 
Mutual  Dances,  and  discouraging  these 
dances  for  the  following  reasons: 

a.  The  activities  of  the  various  depart- 
ments present  sufficient  variety.  There 
is  no  necessity  for  such  a  dance. 

b.  That  these  dances  add  nothing  to  our 
recreational  or  educational  program. 


c.  That  these  dances  interfere  with  school 
studies  of  our  boys  and  girls. 

d.  That  many  young  people  drift  about 
from  their  own,  to  wards  that  give 
those  dances. 

e.  That  these  dances  are  keeping  our 
young  people  out  late  and  breaking  the 
Curfew  law. 

This  regulation  would  not  apply  to 
matinee  dances  and  occasional  dances  after 
Mutual,   but  to   the  regular  practice. 


Putting  Over  the  Slogan  in  Parowan  Stake 


The  M.  I.  A.  Boards  of  Parowan  stake 
are  putting  over  the  Slogan  by  the  use  of 
illustrated  lectures  in  each  ward.  Gustive 
O.  Larson,  principal  of  the  Seminary,  or- 
ganized, in  the  California  mission  in  1923, 
an  illustrated  lecture  on  Ancient  American 
Civilization  and  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
It  was  later  given  before  the  General  Au- 
thorities in  Salt  Lake  and  has  been  sent  to 


many  of  the  missions.  The  stake  board 
has  secured  the  slides,  which  number  about 
100,  through  the  courtesy  of  the  Bureau 
of  Information,  and  Brother  Larson  has  de- 
livered the  lecture  to  crowded  houses  in 
each  ward. 

The  stake  board  has  supplied  appro- 
priate musical  programs  to  fit  into  the 
theme. 


MUTUAL  WORK 


171 


They  Know  How  to  Work 


This  photograph  shows  LeMayne  and 
Conley  Watts,  boys  1  7  and  1 6  years  old, 
respectively,  and  sons  of  J.  A.  Watts,  1st 
assistant  superintendent  of  the  Y.  M.  M. 


I.  A.  and  the  Scout  leaders  in  Rexburg, 
Idaho.  The  picture  is  taken  in  the  beets, 
showing  a  part  of  the  twenty-five  acres 
they  have  raised  this  year.  They  are  in 
the  midst  of  the  harvest  now  and  are 
taking  from  this  portion  of  the  field 
twenty-one  tons  per  acre.  A  wonderful 
showing!  They  are  fine  fellows  and  know 
how  to  work.  They  have  followed  the 
beet  industry  since  they  were  1 1  and  1 2 
years  of  age,  and  while  they  have  worked 
at  times  for  other  people;  from  them 
and  their  father,  they  have  always  received 
words  of  commendation  for  their  industry. 
They  have  made  their  own  way  so  far  by 
hard  work  during  their  vacation.  Com- 
mendable example  for  all  young  men. 


Stake  Mutual,  Twin  Falls,  Entertains 


On  August  26,  1927,  the  Twin  Falls 
Stake  Mutual  entertained  the  ward  officers 
at  a  social.  The  guests  were  received  by 
members  of  the  Board  and  the  High  Coun- 
cilmen  appointed  to  the  M.  I.  A.  Then  fol- 
lowed community  singing  and  mixers.  The 
color  scheme  of  the  M.  I.  A.  was  artistic- 
ally carried  out  both  in  the  decorations  and 
in  the  m:nu.  Program  of  reading,  music 
and  plans  for  the  coming  season  were  pro- 
vided,   followed    by    toasts,    conversations. 


and  toasted  marshmallows.  There  were 
tiny  candles  in  candle  holders  of  green  and 
gold.  Following  the  banquet  each  ward 
in  the  stake  furnished  a  stunt  for  enter- 
tainment and  the  whole  was  ended  by 
dancing.  One  hundred  people  enjoyed  the 
party  and  declared  it  the  most  successful 
"get  together"  party  that  we  have  had. — 
Ellis  Boyling,  Reed  Bitter,  Stake  Recre- 
ation Committee;  Wm.  E.  Bitter,  Stake 
Superintendent,  Y.  M.  M.  I,  A. 


Carlin  Scouts'  Trip  to  Yellowstone  National  Park 


Six  Scouts  of  xhz  Carlin  troop  number 
1,  Nevada,  left  on  Sunday,  July  17,  1927, 
enroute  to  Yellowstone  National  Park.  The 
trip  up  consumed  three  days.  At  Twin 
Falls,  Idaho,  Scout  Executive  Robertson 
welcomed  the  scouts  and  their  driver,  Mr. 
Earle  Bohne.  He  took  them  for  a  sight- 
seeing ride  about  the  city.  The  scouts 
also  met  the  scout  executive  at  Pocatello. 
Idaho.  Supplies  for  the  trip  were  pur- 
chased at  Idaho  Falls.  From  the  West  en- 
trance the  party  proceeded  to  Old  Faithful 
Camp,  after  viewing  the  many  geysers  of 
the  Upper  and  Lower  Geyser  basins.  The 
next  day  a  stop  was  made  at  the  Lake 
Camp  for  one  and  a  half  days,  where  boat- 
ing and  fishing  were  enjoyed  by  the  scouts. 


From  Lake  Camp  the  party  proceeded  to 
the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Yellowstone 
river,  and  thence  up  over  Dunraven  Pass 
to  Tower  Falls,  where  a  burned-out  bear- 
ing caused  a  delay  of  one  and  a  half  days. 
We  went  to  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  down 
through  the  Norris  Geyser  Basin  to  Old 
Faithful,  then  out  the  South  Entrance  in 
the  Jackson  Hole  country.  Swimming  and 
boating  were  enjoyed  at  this  spot.  Then 
a  start  for  home  was  made  by  routes 
through  northern  Wyoming  and  Idaho. 
The  trip  consumed  twelve  days.  The 
scouts  had  their  own  tents  and  did  their 
own  cooking.  The  fee  charged  to  each 
scout  was  $15,  which  provided  partway 
for    their    transportation    and    food.      The 


172 


IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


other  part  of  the  expenses  were  paid  out 
of  the  scout  treasury.  The  Boy  Scouts  of 
Carlin  are  fully  organized,  with  Mr.  Ches- 


ter Nelson  as  scoutmaster  and  Mr.  Burdsell 
as  assistant.- — J.  W.  Robinson,  Carlin,  Ne- 
vada. 


West  Gridley  Basketball  Team,  California 


All  except  three  are  members  of  the  M 
Men  class  of  the  Liberty  branch  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  at  Gridley,  California.  They  are 
the  champions  of  the  Sacramento  Valley, 
which  comprises  three  different  basketball 
leagues — the  Sacramento  Valley  league,  the 


Foohill  league,  and  the  Feather  River 
league.  Their  names  are,  front  row,  left 
to  right:  Lavern  Wolf,  captain;  Geo.  G. 
Cole,  O.  T.  Shirley,  Jr.,  Oren  Borrowman. 
Back  row:  Harry  Sannar,  Roscoe  Jones, 
Bert  Jones,  Walter  Little,  Benjamin  Shir- 
ley.    They  are  a  clean,  fine  bunch. 


A  Good  Word  for  Utah  Athletes 


Erwin  B.  Evans,  president  of  the  Wis- 
consin district  of  the  Northern  States  mis- 
sion, favors  the  Era  with  a  clipping  from 
the  Milwaukee  Sentinel,  written  by  Coach 
Knute  Rockne  of  Notre  Dame.  He  has  been 
interested  in  a  coaching  school  in  Cache 
Valley  and  is  enthusiastic  over  the  progress 
of    athletic    sports    among    the    Latter-day 


Saint  boys,  and  incidentally  over  the  splen- 
did educational  progress  that  is  made  in 
Utah  in  this  line.  He  says,  "With  the 
higher  grade  of  coaching  which  they  are 
now  receiving  all  around,  look  out  for 
Utah.  The  University  of  Utah,  coached 
by  Ike  Armstrong,  plays  Northwestern  at 
Chicago  this  fall.     I  saw  these  Utes  playing 


MUTUAL    WORK 


173 


in  Hawaii  last  winter.  They  looked  mighty 
good.  They  won't  beat  Northwestern; 
Dick  Hanley  has  a  mighty  fine  team  com- 
ing on,  but  they'll  play  a  grade  of  football 
good  enough  to  convince  any  skeptic  that 
Utah  is  coming  fast. 

"In  June,  1912,  a  gangly,  raw-boned 
chap  named  Alva  Richards  reported  at 
Northwestern  field  for  the  Olympic  trials. 
Tenaciously  hanging  on  to  a  carpet  bag 
the  youngster  announced  that  he  was  a  high 
jumper  from  Utah.  He  was.  Unknown 
and  unheralded  he  won  the  event  that  day, 
and  won  it  at  the  Olympic  games. 

"In  1914,  Clinton  Larson,  representing 


Brigham  Young  University,  came  east  to 
the  Penn  relays  and  won  the  high  jump 
with  a  leap  of  6  feet  5]/2  inch  s.  Then 
came  Creed  Haymond  from  the  University 
of  Utah  to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
His  sprinting  astounded  the  east.  All  three 
of  th:se  stars  came  from  the  southern  end 
of  the  state. 

"The  reason  for  these  men  is  not  be- 
cause the  distance  between  water  holes  is 
great,  nor  that  one  had  to  jump  high  to 
be  able  to  pick  the  berries.  They  are  the 
result  of  heredity.  The  people  who  pio- 
neered this  state  were,  absolutely,  of  the 
best  American  stock." 


New  Superintendents 


Rulon  E.  Hicken  was  sustained  as  stake 
superintendent  of  the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  at 
Cardston,  Alberta  stake,  Canada,  on  Sep- 
tember 7.  Former  superintendent  Seth  H. 
Nelson  was  released. 

LeRoy  Whitehead  was  chosen  stake 
superintendent  of  the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  of 
Gunnison  stake,  vice,  Charles  E.  Embley, 
released. 

Wm.  H.  Stoddard  was  appointed  super- 
intendent of  the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  of  the 
Blaine  stake,  vice,  David  K.  Henry,  re- 
leased. 

E.  Rey  Guymen  was  sustained  super- 
intendent of  the  Montpelier  stake,   Idaho, 


vice,  Arthur  S.  Richards,  released.  The 
change  was  made  on  Saturday,  August  27, 
1927. 

James  Jenson  was  chosen,  September  18, 
1927,  superintendent  of  the  Box  Elder 
stake,  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.,  vice,  Wm.  H. 
Stayner,  released. 

Robert  Lee  Purrington,  was  appointed 
superintendent  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.,  Weber 
stake,  vice,  Joseph  E.  Wright,  released. 

Virgil  M.  Flake,  Snowflake  stake,  Ari- 
zona, was  appointed  superintendent,  Octo- 
ber 23,  1927,  vice,  Jesse  M.  Smith,  re- 
leased. 


Short  Play  Contest 


Announcement   of   the    winners   in    the 
short    play    contest    inaugurated    by    the 


Improvement  Era  for  1927,  will  be  made 
in  the  January,   1928,  number. 


Appreciation  From  Japan 


Fujiya  Nara,  General  Superintendent  of 
the  Mutual  Improvement  Associations  in 
Japan,  writes  from  Tokyo,  to  Alma  O 
Taylor,  expressing  sincere  appreciation  to 
the  General  Board  for  furnishing  them 
with  the  Improvement  Era,  from  which 
they  get  much  encouragement  and  help. 
The  few  Saints  in  Japan,  seem  determined 
to  carry  on  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the 


Church  withdrew  its  missionaries  over  two 
years  ago.  There  are  three  M.  I.  A.  or- 
ganizations in  Japan,  one  at  Tokyo  and 
vicinity  over  which  Fujiya  Nara  presides: 
one  at  Osaka  and  vicinity,  of  which 
Tsuruichi  Katsura  is  president,  and  one  at 
Sapporo  and  all  the  Island  Hokkaido  with 
Kenji  Ono,  president. 


174  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  Statistical  Report,  October.   1927 


9 

& 

STAKE 

(2 

si 

CO    ^ 

_o 

51 

to   ^ 

o 

x< 

— 

•o 

«  iu 

5 

-o   S 

5 

"2  = 

g 

•a   c 

c 

3  "o 

:> 

o 

:-' 

O  J 

>  2 

T3     C 

<  uj 

u  1 

c     £ 
CO  111 

<  u 

II 

o 

O  J 

>  2 

<  < 

c    £ 
CO  < 

c  "^ 
>  t 

<  < 

O     1 

o 

h 

Box  Elder       . 

757 

n 

13 

134 

192 

221 

10 

224|781 

100|127|    89|      9|137 

462 

Carbon    .     

547 

7 

3 

78 

7.9 

23 

9 

591148 

201    201    161      41   45 

105 

Cottonwood     .  .     ..     .„. 

727 

10 

10 

107 

80 

160 

30 

275|652 

101]    66]    95|    22|l76 

460 

Deseret     .  .      _   _   _. 

521 

12 

12 

90 

150 

85 

22 

131|478 

70|    96]    57|    11|    86 

320 

Emery    .        .       . 

476 

9 

7 

60 

59 

110 

.. 

177|406 

43     34|    71 1 1133 

281 

956 

8 

8 

81 

1  30 

•704 

31 

787 

778 

78 

1  10 

1  67 

7^ 

768 

646 

Granite    ._. _   ... 

1000 

9 

9 

79 

80 

206 

126 

235 

725 

70 

68 

155 

99 

192 

584 

Gunnison   .  _   

279 

7 

7 

48 

59 

43 

46 

196 

37 

42 

35 

29 

143 

Juab    ____ 

328 

5 

4 

39 

79 

57 

60 

235 

31 

54 

44 

51 

180 

Liberty     

1435 

12 

12 

112 

177 

229 

106 

310 

934 

111 

183 

209 

89 

279 

871 

595 

1  1 

7 

70 

74 

78 

1  8 

154 

3P4 

51 

34 

40 

10 

96 

731 

North  Davis  

473 

6 

4 

39 

20 

59 

82 

200 

35 

14 

35 

60 

144 

710 

10 

7 

49 

76 

78 

1  10 

977 

3Q 

16 

43 

77 

170 

Ogden    

876 

11 

11 

97 

89 

161 

35 

757 

634 

78 

59 

1  16 

7? 

180 

455 

Oquirrh    . 

485 

6 

6 

60 

53 

71 

16 

119 

319 

53 

35 

34 

12 

70 

204 

Palmyra   .  . _  . 

487|    8 

5 

43     54 

51 

15 

95 

258 

24 

26 

16 

16 

44 

131 

Panguitch    

255i    6 

1 

10     14 

18 

12 

54 

7 

7 

8 

6 

28 

Parowan      

546 

11 

4 

31     29 

73 

55 

138 

?? 

71 

13 

3? 

88 

330 
680 

11 
14 

10 
8 

72]  111 

77     79 

75 
90 

16 
47 

86 
74 

360 
367 

47 
51 

63 
53 

46 
73 

10 

20 

55 

60 

771 

St.   George 

257 

1090 
528 

13 
8 

13 
8 

123  129 

228 
140 

35 

264 
170 

779 
457 

104 
63 

88 
46 

158 
92 

29 

201 
111 

580 

South  Davis  

76 

71 

332 

South    Sevier   

200 

8 

6 

48 

124 

14 

112 

290 

36 

90 

10 

91 

227 

465  12 

Uintah   

415 
363 

10 
11 

7 
7 

50 
50 

72 
49 

60 
35 

27 

74 
81 

283 
215 

48 

32 

53 
36 

46 
19 

7 

56 
43 

710 

Bear  Lake  

130 

Burley    

306 

9 

3 

21 

37 

4 

12 

18 

92 

11 

19 

4 

3 

11 

48 

Cassia    

149 

6 

6 

35 

60 

35 

3 

56 

189 

22 

42 

15 

2 

41 

122 

Fremont      .   

666 

14 

13 

120 

187 

145 

19 

145 

616 

80 

143 

88 

15 

86 

402 

200 
577 

7 
12 

5 
7 

34 
61 

30 
67 

11 
65 

4 
11 

25 
67 

104 
271 

17 
40 

26 

45 

7 
27 

2 
4 

17 
56 

69 

Idaho  Falls    .     -        -     

172 

124 

252 

3 
8 

2 

5 

11 
35 

22 
52 

3 
27 

7 

8 
22 

44 
143 

9 
23 

9 
22 

3 
18 

— 

5 
15 

76 

Minidoka    

69 

552 
521 
315 
370 

10 

13 

9 

10 

8 
7 
9 
7 

85 
79 
87 
50 

89 

113 

63 

77 

106 
68 
49 
51 

18 

16 

2 

124 
69 
78 
61 

422 
345 
279 
239 

65 

57 
52 
35 

66 
86 
36 
53 

76 

32 
27 
50 

15 
8 
2 

85 
41 
48 
26 

307 

774 

165 

Yellowstone 

164 

Big  Horn  .     -  - 

322 

6 

3 

23 

32 

18 

__ 

15 

78 

12 

18 

4 

2 

10 

46 

Lethbridge    

223 

9 

5 

67 

54 

59 

62 

16 

258 

46 

38 

52 

25 

11 

172 

Los  Angeles  .       

420 

8 

7 

65 

77 

143 

97 

382 

58 

68 

124 

85 

335 

210 
290 
365 
325 

7 
11 

11 
5 

5 
3 
7 
5 

38 
20 
66 

43 

58 
16 
43 
70 

50 
26 
59 

41 

20 
6 
5 

54 
22 

200 
104 

31 
17 
40 
35 

57 

8 

29 

40 

38 
17 
33 

15 

14 
3 
1 

32 
17 
41 
30 

158 

73 

Star   Valley 

65|239 
441203 

146 

Woodruff    _             . 

121 

San  Francisco 

364 

10 

10 

59 

89 

86 

22 

256 

51 

67 

60 

14 

192 

Hollywood  

318 

10 

10 

89 

122 

149 

15 

77 

452 

69 

110 

121 

22 

56 

3  78 

400 
175 

20|14 
_...'   7 

58 

41 

95 

51 

100 
38 

9 

9 

45 

14 

307 
153 

50 

33 

110 

31 

90 
36 

6 

4 

35 

13 

7.91 

N.  W.  States  Mission  

117 

715 

9 

8 

64 

77 

69 

15 

155 

380 

51 

39 

42 

12 

106 

250 

1410 

14 

10 

85 1    83 

157 

56 

258 

599 

82 

70 

115 

55 

186 

508 

503 

425 

13 

8 

8 
8 

57|   59 

48 
108 

17 

_ 

68|249 

46 

62 

43 
88 

32 
69 

10 



51 
130 

182 

Maricopa    

77 

113 

161 

459 

349 

Y.  M.  M.  I.  A 

.  Efficiency  Report, 

October,  1927 

STAKE 

< 

i 

O 

1 
m 

c 

T3    W> 

•f  I 

1 
O 

E 

s 

> 

< 

(2 

0 

s 
s 

1 1 

w 

U- 

■fc-g 

0 

h 

Hollywood    

10 

10 

10 

8 

10 

7 

7 

8 

10 

10 

90 

7 

7 

10 

10 

10 

6 

10 
10 
10 

5 
3 
5 

6 
6 

5 

7 
4 
8 

8 
2 
8 

6 

5 
7 

10 
9 

10 

10 

8 

10 

79 

64 

Box  Elder  

79 

5 
8 

10 
10 

6 

10 

6 
10 

4 
3 

5 

6 
4 

5 

6 
7 

6 

59 

Carbon     ...  ..   

52 

Cottonwood   

9 

10 

10 

10 

10 

7 

7 

8 

10 

10 

91 

Deseret    

9 

10 

10 

10 

7 

6 

8 

5 

5 

y 

19 

Emery   

9 

10 

7 

4 

7 

2 

5 

6 

8 

6 

64 

8 

4 

7 

10 
10 
10 

10 
10 
10 

10 

7 

10 

10 

7 
10 

7 
3 
2 

7 
5 

4 

5 
2 
3 

10 
10 
10 

10 
10 

10 

8/ 

68 

Granite     

76 

Gunnison      .  . 

7 

10 

10 

10 

8 

6 

9 

8 

6 

9 

83 

Juab    

8 

10 

8 

8 

8 

3 

7 

4 

8 

8 

11 

Liberty      .   . 

7 

10 

10 

10 

10 

8 

7 

4 

10 

10 

86 

7 
6 

9 

10 

10 
10 

10 

10 

7 
10 

3 

5 

7 
6 

7 
10 

10 
10 

9 
10 

/y 

North   Davis   

87 

North  Sanpete 

4 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

2 

8 

6 

56 

Ogden    .    

7 

10 

10 

10 

9 

7 

9 

7 

10 

10 

89 

Oquirrh   .... 

7 

10 

10 

8 

7 

6 

6 

7 

10 

10 

85 

5 
10 

6 
5 

10 

8 

8 

7 
1 

9 
1 

9 

10 

10 
10 

/I 

Panguitch     .     .   

27 

Pa  rowan      .  _. 

5 

9 

8 

8       _ 

5 

4 

3 

b 

42 

10 
10 

9 

10 

6 
9 

3 
8 

2 
3 

4 
7 

7 

4 

8 

4 

7 

9 
10 

65 

St.  George  ....   

65 

Salt  Lake  

7 

10 

10 

7 

9 

7 

7 

7 

9 

10 

82 

South    Davis   .     

9 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

8 

10 

10 

97 

10 
10 

10 
8 

10 
9 

10 

4 

3 

3 

7 
2 

~7 

2 
4 

8 
9 

9 
7 

69 

Summit  ... 

63 

Uintah  

7 

10 

6 

2 

5 

3 

4 

4 

7 

6 

47 

Bear  Lake  ... 

7 

6 

5 

1 

3 

3 

5 

4 

6 

4 

44 

Burley  

3 

7 

3 

2 

1 

3 

2 

3 

3 

27 

10 
9 
8 
5 

10 

10 

10 

6 

10 
10 
10 
10 

5 
10 

10 
6 

7 
5 
4 
4 

4 

10 

5 

7 

7 
8 
9 
8 

10 

10 

10 

9 

10 

10 

10 

6 

83 

88 

3         3 

72 

Idaho  Falls   

7 

6 

68 

3 

9 

10 

3 

3 

6 

6 

6 

3 

49 

Minidoka     

7 

7 

5 

3 

3 

4 

3 

5 

4 

6 

47 

Pocatello    

8 

10 

10 

10 

9 

6 

10 

5 

10 

10 

88 

Rigby    

7 

9 

5 

5 

2 

5 

5 

6 

8 

5 

57 

Shelley ...     

9 

6 

10 

7 

7 

6 

7 

7 

9 

10 

78 

Yellowstone  ... 

6 

10 

10 

2 

6 

4 

8 

5 

10 

8 

63 

? 

9 

■5 

5 

3 

4 

? 

3 

2 

5 

40 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

7 

fi 

10 

10 

93 

Los  Angeles  

9 

10 

9 

9 

9 

5 

6 

8 

9 

9 

83 

9 

1(1 

8 

10 

7 

7 

5 

6 

10 

5 

77 

Snowflake     

4 

10 

3 

1 

2 

1 

2 

1 

2 

3 

7.8 

Star  Valley   

7 

6 

6 

2 

3 

2   1      4 

4 

6 

5 

45 

Woodruff    

6 

9 

10 

8         4 

5 

4 

8 

9 

8 

77 

No.   W.   States  Mission 

10 

10 

10 

3    1      5 

7 

7 

6 

9 

67 

Weber 

5 
10 

10 
10 

10 
10 

10          6 

10 
9 

6 
9 

10 
10 

10 

10 
10 

77 

Maricopa   

10 

9 

97 

REPORTS  FROM  ALL  THEIR  WARDS 
The  following  sixteen  stakes  received  reports  from  all  their  wards  for  the  efficiency  and 
statistical  report  for  October:  Ensign,  Liberty.  Box  Elder,  Ogden,  Cottonwood,  Salt  Lake, 
Granite,  Deseret,  Hollywood,  Maricopa,  San  Francisco,  Gunnsion,  Oquirrh.  South  Davis,  Shelley, 
Woodruff.  Let  us  increase  this  number  for  November,  as  it  is  quite  as  important  that  we  get  the 
reports  from  the  wards  as  from  the  stakes,  in  order  that  the  stake  people  may  be  able  to 
determine  how  the  Mutual  work  is  going  in  their  stakes, 


The  tunnel  under  the  Hudson  river  between 
New  York  and  Jersey  City,  was  opened  Nov. 
12.  1927.  The  tunnel  is  9,250  feet  long 
and  runs  72  feet  below  the  bed  of  the  river. 
It  has  taken  seven  years  to  construct  it,  and 
the  cost  is  $48,000,000.  The  formal  open- 
ing required  only  the  touch  of  President 
Coolidge  on  a  telegraph  key  at  Washington 
to  draw  aside  two  American  flags  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  twin  tubes  of  the  tunnel  and 
open  the  greatest  underway  boulevard  in  the 
world  to  the  official  party  of  the  state's  gov- 
ernor. 130  mayors  and  15.000  other  guests. 
Two  tubes,  each  with  a  road  width  of  20 
feet,  have  a  capacity  for  3.800  cars  hourly. 
The  tunnels  are  paved  with  granite  block 
brilliantly  illuminated  and  supplied  with  a 
complete  change  of  air  42  times  per  hour  by 
84   ventilating  fans. 

To  restrict  divorces  is  the  aim  of  a  move- 
ment in  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the  United 
States,  launched  Nov.  13,  1927,  by  the  dis- 
tribution from  headquarters  in  Philadelphia 
of  a  document,  in  which  it  is  urged  that  the 
church  recognize  only  one  cause  for  divorce, 
viz.,  adultery.  If  that  principle  is  adopted, 
divorce  would  not  be  granted  for  desertion, 
for  instance;  or  for  "cruelty,"  or  for  "in- 
compatibility of  temper,"  or  "failure  to  sup- 
port," etc.  Distribution  of  the  document  for 
discussion  among  the  churches  was  authorized 
bv  the  general  assembly  at  San  Francisco  last 
May,  and  the  report  has  been  in  preparation 
since.  Final  action  is  to  be  taken  at  the  next 
general  assembly  in  Tulsa,  Okla.,  in  May, 
1928. 

The  total  net  revenue  from  the  Panama 
Canal,  for  the  last  fiscal  year,  is  placed  at 
$18,131,819.  The  number  of  ships  that 
passed  through  were  6,072,  or  16.6  ships 
per  day. 

Armistice  day,  Nov.  11,  was  observed  all 
over  the  country  with  exercises  in  memory  of 
the  victims  of  the  world  war,  who  were  slain 
on  the  various  battlefields.  President  Coolidge 
placed  a  wreath  on  the  grave  of  the  unknown 
soldier  at  Arlington.  Canadians  presented  "a 
cross  of  sacrifice"  in  memory  of  American 
soldiers  who  were  killed  in  the  Canadian 
service,  and  the  Canadian  troops  were  parad- 
ing Washington  streets,  bearing  arms.  Memorial 
services  were  held  as  usual  in  honor  of 
Woodrow  Wilson,  the  "war  president."  In 
Utah  the  day  was  observed,  generally  under 
the  direction  of  the  posts  of  the  American 
Legion. 

Job  Newton,  Springfield,  Mo.,  died  in  that 


EVENTS 


city,  Nov.  4,  1927,  at  the  age  of  102  years. 
He  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  man  to  enter 
Salt  Lake  City  with  a  wagon  train,  during  the 
California  gold  rush.  "Uncle  Job."  as  he 
was  called,  lived  in  Kansas  City  and  St.  Louis 
when  those  cities  were  Indian  trading  posts, 
having  gone  to  St.  Louis  in  1836.  When 
gold  was  reported  in  the  hills  of  C-.lifornia, 
he  commanded  two  wagon  trains  which  trav- 
eled across  the  country  to  the  west  coast. 
He  came  to  Springfield  shortly  afrerward  and 
entered  the  brokerage  business  and  continued 
in  this  capacity  until  five  years  ago.  when 
he  sold  his  interests  to  a  new  corporation. 

A  series  of  earthquake  shocks  along  the 
California  coast  interfered  with  the  railroad 
traffic,  on  Nov.  4,  1927,  over  the  Southern 
Pacific  line  north  of  Santa  Barbara,  and  shook 
the  inland  town  of  Santa  Maria.  The  tremors 
continued  all  day.  The  earth  tremors  appar- 
ently were  heaviest  in  the  vicinity  of  Honda, 
a  rockbound  point  thirty-five  miles  north 
of  Santa  Barbara.  It  was  here  Southern  Pa- 
cific tracks  were  thrown  out  of  alignment. 
Trains  were  delayed  for  some  hours  and  later 
they  proceeded  at  a  slow  speed.  Ships  at  sea 
were  rocked,  the  Mackay  radio  station  reported. 
The  steamer  Los  Angeles  radioed  two  shocks 
were  felt  after  noon.  The  shocks  vibrated 
the  entire  steamer,  which  at  that  time  was 
twenty-five  miles  north  of  Point  Arguello, 
Santa  Barbara  county.  At  Santa  Maria  five 
shocks  were  felt  in  five  hours,  the  second  of 
which,  at  5  :49  a.  m.,  was  the  most  severe. 
Stones  in  the  Masonic  hall  were  dislodged 
and  fell  into  the  street,  while  a  few  plate 
glass  windows  were  cracked. 

Chief  Justice  Wm.  H.  Taft.  in  an  address 
before  the  National  Crime  commission.  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  Nov.  2.  1927,  declared  that  the 
American  legal  system  must  be  reformed.  New 
trials,  he  said,  should  never  be  granted,  except 
for  injustice,  and  the  practice  of  selecting 
juries  of  weak  intelligence  must  be  abolished. 
"Exemption  from  jury  service  ought  to  be 
cut  down,  and  society  ought  to  be  able  to 
secure  a  jury  that  approaches  the  issues  with 
a  sense  of  its  obligation  to  enforce  the  law 
without  fear  or  favor,  and  with  intelligence 
enough  to  learn  from  the  judge  what  the  law 
is  and  to  weigh  the  evidence  with  reference  to 
its  violation." 

Russia  decides  to  participate  in  the  delibera- 
tions of  the  League  of  Nations  disarmament 
commission  on  Nov.  30,  according  to  an 
announcement  from  Paris,  dated  Nov.  1,  1927. 
That  means  that  all  the  great  powers  of  the 
world,    including    the    United    States,    will    be 


PASSING  EVENTS 


177 


represented  on  that  commission,  and  that  every 
excuse  for  failure  to  agree  on  some  practical 
plan  for  the  reduction  of  military  forces  of 
the  world  is  deprived  of  any  real  foundation. 
It  has  always  been  said  that  no  disarmament 
plan  can  be  adopted  until  all  the  powers  agree 
on  it.  The  opportunity  for  a  general  agree- 
ment is  now   at  hand. 

Marriages  for  five  years  only  is  the  brilliant 
idea  of  a  jurist  of  the  Los  Angeles  superior 
court  "in  order  to  adjust  book  law  to  current 
usage."  according  to  an  Associated  Press  dis- 
patch from  Los  Angeles  dated  Nov.  1,  1927. 
The  contract  should  be  renewable,  he  suggests, 
at  the  end  of  the  five-year  period.  If  it  is 
not  renewed,  the  division  of  the  property 
and  custody  of  the  children  would  be  settled 
bv  the  courts  We  used  to  think  that  mar- 
riages "until  death  do  you  part"  were  too 
short,   but  five-year  marriage  contracts! 

Crime  and  criminals  are  increasing  faster 
than  the  population,  according  to  figures  pub- 
lished by  the  department  of  justice,  Oct.  31, 
1927.  The  total  prison  population  in  federal 
prisons,  at  the  end  of  the  last  fiscal  years, 
was  18.788.  as  compared  with  8.927  in 
1918.  The  increase  in  the  prison  population 
the  last  nine  years  has  been  110  per  cent, 
while  the  entire  population,  during  the  same 
time,  has  increased  only  20  per  cent.  The 
most  striking  increase  was  found  in  narcotic 
law  violations,  which  jumped  from  299  in 
1918  to  2116  in  1927.  Next  in  order  were 
violation  of  the  Volstead  act,  with  2040 
prisoners.  Violation  of  another  recent  law, 
the  motor  vehicle  theft  act,  stood  third  on  the 
list. 

Maximilian  Harden,  famous  German  news- 
paper man,  died  suddenly,  Oct.  30,  1927,  at 
Montana-Vermala,  Switzerland,  after  an  attack 
of  bronchitis.  It  is  said  of  him  that  he  caused 
more  uneasiness  to  the  former  royalty  of  Ger- 
many and  men  who  occupied  political  positions 
during  the  regime  of  the  former  kaiser  than  any 
other  man  or  agency  in  Germany.  He  hated 
the  former  war  lord  more  and  feared  him  less, 
than  any  other  German  subject;  was  violently 
opposed  to  the  kaiser,  and  never  permitted 
to  pass  an  opportunity  to  criticise  and  attack 
the  ruler  and  those  associated  with  him  in 
the  government.  His  newspaper.  Die  Zukunft. 
was  widely  read  and  extensively  quoted  both 
in  Germany  and  abroad. 

Shotom  Schwartzbard,  a  Ukrainian  Jew. 
charged  with  the  murder  of  General  Petlura. 
was  acquitted  by  a  French  jury,  Oct.  27,  1927. 
It  was  shown  during  the  trial,  that  Schwartz- 
bard believed  that  Petlura  was  responsible  for 
the  massacre  of  thousands  of  Jews  in  Ukrania 
during  the  years  1918-20,  and  that  Schwartz- 
bard had  slain  the  general  in  order  to  avenge 
the    murder    of    his    countrymen.       With    this 


object  in  view,  he  tracked  his  victim  from 
place  to  place,  until  on  May  29,  1926.  he 
found  his  chance,  in  Paris,  to  pour  the  lead 
into  his  body  and  end  his  life.  There  seems 
to  be  great  joy  and  satisfaction  in  Jewish 
circles  over  the  acquittal  of  the  slayer.  He  is 
regarded  as  a  hero,  a  blood  avenger,  and  the 
murder  he  committed  was.  it  is  said,  an  act  of 
"higher  justice,"  and  the  jury,  seemingly, 
took  the  same  view,  and  that  suggests  the  ques- 
tion whether  there  is  in  France,  or  any  civil- 
ized community,  a  "higher  justice"  than  that 
entrusted  to  the  administration  of  the  legal 
authorities. 

John  F.  Bowman  was  elected  mayor  of 
Salt  Lake  City.  Nov.  8,  1927.  with  a  total 
of  17,795  votes.  His  competitor  Mayor  C. 
Clarence  Neslen.  received  15,216  votes.  Mr. 
Charles  N.  Fehr  and  commissioner  T.  T. 
Burton  were  elected  with  21.351  and  15.219 
votes,  respectively. 

The  cornerstones  of  the  L.  D.  S.  taber- 
nacle at  Twin  Falls,  Idaho,  were  laid  Oct.  23, 
.President  Wm.  T.  Jack  of  Oakley.  Cassia 
stake,  officiating.  President  L.  S.  Kirkman. 
of  the  Twin  Falls  stake,  announced  the 
amount  of  the  contributions  collected  and  the 
funds  expended,  and  explained  that  the  copper 
box  placed  in  the  cornerstone  contained  a 
roster  of  those,  numbering  more  than  1000, 
who  have  contributed  to  the  structure  up  to 
the  present  time. 

Bishop  Alfred  Ricks  died  at  his  home  in 
Sugar  City.  Idaho.  Oct.  24,  1927,  after  several 
months'  illness.  He  came  to  Rexburg  with  his 
father.  President  Thomas  Ricks,  founder  of 
that  city  and  the  college  there  which  bears 
his  name.  He  homesteaded  the  farm  in  that 
vicinity  in  the  early  days  and  was  largely  in- 
strumental in  bringing  about  a  greater  agri- 
cultural development  in  the  upper  valley.  Of 
recent  years  he  had  been  in  the  mercantile 
business  in  Sugar  City.  For  more  than  twenty 
years  he  was  a  bishop  and  under  his  guidance 
the  Church  in  Sugar  City  grew  from  a  few 
members  to  one  of  the  largest  in  the  upper 
country.  He  was  born  Nov.  28,  1869,  at 
Logan.  Utah,  and  is  survived  by  his  widow 
and  six   children. 

An  earthquake  shock  of  considerable  in- 
tensity shook  southeastern  Alaska.  Oct.  24. 
1927.  severing  the  military  cables  between 
Ketchikan  and  Wrangell  and  between  Juneau, 
Haines  and  Skagway.  breaking  dishes  and  win- 
dows and  stopping  clocks.  The  center  of  dis- 
turbance is  supposed  to  have  been  in  the  Pa- 
cific ocean  off  the  coast  of  Alaska. 

Fire  destroyed  the  building  of  the  Carpenter 
Paper  Co.,  143-5  South  State  street.  Salt 
Lake  City,  causing  a  total  loss  of  approxi- 
mately $325,000.  on  Sunday,  Oct.  23.  The 
first  fire  alarm  was  turned  in  at   7:25   p.  m. 


178 


IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


It  was  found  that  the  blaze  had  started  in  an 
old  two-story  warehouse  at  the  rear  of  the 
main  buildings,  which  were  damaged  to  the 
extent  of  $50,000.  The  heaviest  losses  were 
suffered  by  the  paper  company,  but  the  Moun- 
tain States  Implement  company,  135-39  South 
State  street,  and  Sam  Peterson  and  Sons  Com- 
pany. 147  South  State  street  also  reported 
losses  to  both  building  and  stock  of  their 
respective  establishments.  A  heroic  act  of 
rescue  is  told  in  the  reports  of  the  fire.  One 
of  the  firemen,  Francis  L.  Buhlcr.  while  chop- 
ping a  pathway  for  a  hose  to  be  brought  into 
the  center  of  the  building,  fell  headlong  into 
a  mass  of  burning  rubbish  and  came  into  con- 
tact with  an  exposed  live  wire.  He  was  ren- 
dered unconscious  by  the  electricity  and  would 
have  burned  to  death  but  for  the  heroic  action 
of  Captain  Rafferty,  who  rushed  to  his  as- 
sistance. Dashing  the  charged  wire  from  the 
prostrate  body  of  the  fallen  fireman,  the 
captain  carried  him  to  a  point  of  safety.  First 
aid  treatment  was  applied  and  Buhler  was  re- 
vived. 

Patrick,  Cardinal  O'Donnell.  primate  of  the. 
Irish  Roman  Catholic  church,  died  Oct.  22. 
1927,  of  double  pneumonia.  The  last  few 
days  he  was  very  weak.  His  illness  was 
diagnosed  as  influenza  pneumonia,  and  pleurisy 
had  developed  on  the  right  side. 

Four  thousand  coal  miners  are  said  to  have 
gone  on  a  strike  in  the  Colorado  coal  fields, 
on  Oct.  18,  1927,  at  the  call  of  the  I.  W.  W. 
leaders.  Trouble  seems  to  be  brewing  in  that 
region. 

Moving  picture  shows  were  declared  illegal 
in  Provo,  by  Judge  George  P.  Parker,  in  the 
Fourth  district  court.  In  a  former  decision  in 
a  similar  case  based  on  an  old  city  ordinance, 
which  did  not  either  expressly  or  by  implica- 
tion prohibit  the  operation  of  picture  shows 
on  Sunday,  Judge  Parker  ruled  in  favor  of 
the  theater.  Following  this  decision  early  this 
year,  the  city  commission  passed  a  new  ordin- 
ance wherein  the  express  terms  prohibit  the 
operation  of  Sunday  movies. 

A  statue  of  Major  General  George  Gordon 
Meade,  who  commanded  the  Union  forces  at 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  was  accepted  by  Pres. 
Coolidge,  Oct.  19,  1927,  on  behalf  of  the 
nation.  The  President  paid  the  Union  com- 
mander a  high  tribute  for  reliability  and  cour- 


age. The  memorial  was  unveiled  by  a  daugh- 
ter of  General  Meade,  Miss  Henrietta  Meade 
of  Philadelphia,  who,  with  Governor  Fisher 
and  members  of  his  staff,  were  guests  of  the 
president   at  luncheon  before   the  ceremony. 

A  farewell  party  for  Dr.  and  Mrs.  John  A. 
Widtsoe  was  given  in  the  Assembly  Hall,  Salt 
Lake  City,  Nov.  10,  1927.  under  the  auspices 
of  the  brethren  presiding  in  the  Scandinavian 
meetings  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  Associated 
Newspapers.  Dr.  Widtsoe,  who  has  been  called 
to  preside  over  the  European  mission,  is  the 
president  of  a  committee  appointed  by  the 
Church  authorities  to  supervise  and  direct  those 
meetings  and  publications,  and  the  brethren 
laboring  under  the  discretion  of  that  com- 
mittee, and  numerous  Church  members  of 
foreign  extraction — German  and  Scandinavian 
and  from  Holland — met  to  express  their  love 
and  respect  for  Dr.  Widtsoe  and  his  estimable 
wife  and  wish  Godspeed  on  their  journey  and 
success   in    their   labors   abroad. 

President  Heber  J.  Grant  was  the  principal 
speaker  of  the  evening.  He  congratulated  the 
guests  of  honor  on  the  call  they  had  received 
to  go  out  in  the  world  and  win  souls  for 
Christ.  He  also  told  of  his  own  joy  in 
missionary  labor  in  the  European  mission,  and 
the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  in 
the  gatherings  of  the  Saints  in  foreign  coun- 
tries. 

Other  speakers  were  President  Rulon  S. 
Wells,  Elder  Andrew  Jenson.  Gustav  Forsberg. 
Adam  L.  Petersen,  Jean  Wunderlick,  Wm. 
DeBry,  and  C.  M.  Nielsen.  Three  young  ladies 
in  the  national  costumes  of  the  Scandinavian 
countries,  Misses  Viola  Poruun,  Irene  Winther 
and  Elsie  Olson,  sent  greetings  to  the  "Old 
Countries."  on  behalf  of  the  Scandinavians 
here.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Widtsoe  replied,  deeply 
touched,  to  the  addresses  delivered  and  the  en- 
tire program,  expressing  their  heartfelt  appre- 
ciation of  the  beautiful  proceedings  of  the 
evening. 

The  Assembly  Hall  was  artistically  dec- 
orated with  flowers  and  flags.  Music  was 
provided  by  Scandinavian  choirs  and  by  Prof. 
Axel  Nylander  (flute)  and  Prof.  C.  Adolph 
Swenson  (violin) .  A  token  of  remembrance 
was  presented  to  the  guests  of  honor,  on 
behalf  of  those  present,  by  Elder  Isaac  Thu- 
nell.  Elder  Ole  Gulbrandsen  opened  the  pro- 
gram with  prayer,  and  Elder  H.  M.  H.  Lund 
pronounced  the  benediction. 


Oft  men,  in  vaunted  wisdom. 

As  lighting  bugs  we  find, 
To  grope  through  life's  dark  Chasm, 

With  their  headlights  on  behind. 

O.  F.  Ursenbach. 


Advertising  Policy  of  the  Era 


We  accent  only  the 
rentiers  tlie  fi 


highest  class  of  advertising.     We  recommend  to  otir 
rms  anil  g»o<lM  found  in  our  advertising-  pages 
ADVERTISERS    IIV    THIS    ISSUE 


Beneficial    Life    Ins.    Co. 
Brigham   Young  University 
Deseret   Book   Store 
Deseret    News 
Dinwoodey   Furniture   Co. 
Fleischmann's  Yeast 
Inter-Mountain  Life  Ins.  Co. 
Jos.   Wm.   Taylor,  Undertaker 
Keeley   Ice  Cream   Co. 


L.  D.  S.  Business  College 
Modern  Furniture  Co. 
Prudential   Building   Society 
Salt  Lake  Knitting  Co. 
Southern   Pacific  Lines 
Utah   Agricultural  College 
Utah  Home  Fire  Ins.  Co. 
Zion's  Co-operative  Merc.  Inst. 


HUMOROUS    HINTS 

We'd  hate  to  have  to  wear  anything  that  had  to  be  pulled  up  as  often  as  stockings, 
or  down  as  often  as  skirts. — Ohio  State  Journal. 

Edison  thinks  people  should  eat  the  same  thing  every  day.     Nature  designed  that 
man  to  run  a  boarding  house. — St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press. 

*  *      * 

King  George,  of  England,  sold  out  an  entire  booth  of  flowers  at  a  recent  charity 
fete.     The  fete  was  in  Scotland.     We'd  call  it  a  feat. — San  Diego  Union. 

*  *      * 

I  believe  that  the  members  of  the  dental  profession  are   the  only  men  who  can 
tell  a  woman  to  open  or  close  her  mouth  and  get  away  with  it. — Chicago  Daily  Neivs. 


LETS  GO  TO 

KEELEY'S 

"The  Home  of  Good  Things  to  Eat" 


For  Breakfast- 

Lunch,  Dinner,  or 
After   Theatre ! 
— Home-like   foods 
prepared  by 

women   cooks. 


Missionaries— 

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Lunches 

for  the  train ! 
— put    up    to    your    order, 
"Gems  of  Good  Cookery" 


KEELEY"  ICE  CREAM  CO. 

55  SoJtain- 160  SaMain  - 160  Sa  State 'Jffill&rs  OmdyDept. 


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WHEN    WRITING   TO   ADVERTISERS,   PLEASE   MENTION   THE   IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


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E.  E.  Jenkins,  President 


234-236    South     State     Street 

'•Trade   With    Your    Friends" 

J.  B.  Sharp,  Vice-President 


C.  E.  Davey,  Manager 


--   Not  Obtaining  any  Relief ,  I  Decided 
to  Give  Fleischmann's  Yeast  a  Trial" 

"I  am  the  manager  of  a  large  meat  and  grocery  business  at  Midvale,  Utah,  and 
have  had  considerable  trouble  for  over  three  years,  with  indigestion.  I  was  especially 
bothered  after  eating  meals,  when  I  would  be  troubled  with  gas  pains. 

"After  trying  many  remedies  and  not  obtaining  any  relief,  I  decided  to  give 
Fleischmann's  Yeast  a  trial.  It  proved  very  beneficial  and  after  having  eaten  it  for 
s-K   months,   I   am   again   full   of   pep. 

"I  am  now  eating  three  cakes  of  Fleischmann's  Yeast  regularly  each  day  before 
meals,  and  can  heartily  recommend  it  to  anyone  troubled  with  indigestion," — 
B.  A.  Rasmussen. 

If  you  are  troubled  with  indigestion,  constipation,  skin  disorders  and  your  system 
needs  a  toning-up,  eat  three  cakes  of  Fleischmann's  Yeast  daily,  one  before  each  meal. 
Eat  it  plain  in  small  pieces,  dissolved  in  water,  cold  or  hot  (not  scalding),  or  any 
way  you  prefer.  Start  today  and  you  will  soon  find  that  you,  too,  are  full  of  pep. 

FLEISCHMANN'S  YEAST 

At  All  Grocers! 


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A  CHRISTMAS  GIFT 

FOR  YOUR  SON  OR  DAUGHTER: 

50c    per    month    will    mature    one    share    of    Class    A     (Installment* 
HjScHgy      Stock  in  the  PRUDENTIAL  BUILDING  SOCIETY. 
The  Prudential  Building  Society, 

49  West  South  Temple  Street,   Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

(Name    

Street  and   No 

City   or  Town   

GEORGE  M.  CANNON,  Pres.  and  Manager  GEORGE  Q,.  MORRIS,  Sec.  and  Treas 


It's  a  short  highway   that   has  no   detours! — Penins. 

*  *      * 

The  person  who  thinks  all  others  are  fools  is  at  least  a  very  safe  motorist. — Arkansas  Gazette. 

*  *       * 

As  we  understand  it.  the  little  King  of  Roumania  has  almost  as  much  authority  as  the  King 
of  Italy. — El  Paso  Times. 


Germany's  rag  trade  is  languishing,   it  is  announced,   because  the  men  wear  their 
clothes  too  long  and  the  women  wear  their's  too  short. — Minneapolis  Journal. 


Did  Ton  Ever  Think 
of  This? 

If  you  are  not  specifically  trained  for  some  type  of  useful 
employment  it  will  not  be  long  before  tbe  world  will  point 
its  finger   at  you  and  call  you   a  failure. 

Ours  is  a  school  of  opportunity.  Here  you  have  a  chance 
to  do  the  best  you  can,  independently  of  what  anybody  else 
may  do. 

EVERY  MONDAY  we  open  the  doors  of  opportunity — 
when  shall  we  have  the  privilege   of  welcoming  you? 

L.  D.  S.  Business  College 

Write   for  Information 
"Utah's  Largest  Commercial  Training  SchooV 


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TRAVEL 
PEDESTRIAN 
ACCIDENT 
INSURANCE 


$13,994.35  Paid 

To   readers   of  the   Deseret   News 

Protect  Yourself  and  Family 

One  Year — One  Dollar 

The   wise   person  will   act  now. 

Tomorrow  may  be  too  late 

Call  or  Write 


Was.  550 


Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


The  financial  editor  says  that  when  money  is  tight  it  must  be  conceded  that  somebody  has 
been  getting  more  than  half  of  1  per  cent. — Los  Angeles  Times. 

*       *       * 

The  gentleman  who  has  just  been  sentenced  to  four  years  in  prison  for  a  swindle  which 
netted  him  four  dollars  is  another  kind  of  dollar-a-year  man. — New  York  Evening  Post. 


There  is  almost  no  danger  now  that  a  girl  will  catch  on  fire  from  the  grate,  but  we  should 
think  she  would  be  in  a  good  deal  of  danger  of  being  suddenly  chilled  if  she  gets  too  near  the 
Frigidaire. — Ohio  State  Journal. 


Song  Hit:     So  they  gave  the  vegetable  man's  daughter  a  job  in  the  jewelry  store 
— she  knew  her  carrots. — Perrins. 


Correct  Notes  in  Fall  and  Winter 

Home  Furnishings  First 

Sounded  Here 


Never  a  new  note  is  struck  in  the  homes  of  the  elect — never 
a  new  type  of  furniture  is  designed  in  the  factories  of  foremost 
originators,  but  what  is  at  once  presented  here  for  your  approval. 
We  are  in  close  touch  always  with  the  ^  ery  sources  of  furniture 
and  home  furnishings  modes.  Seeing,  judging  and  interpreting  in 
ways  to  suit  your  needs.  In  suite,  in  occasional  pieces,  in  draperies, 
in  floor-coverings.  The  finest  products  of  the  best  of  all  makers, 
in  almost  infinite  variety,  and  always  at  the  lowest  possible  prices. 


ESTABLISHED  1837 

DlNWOODEY'S 

"GOOD  FURNITURE  " 


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CHRISTMAS 

GREETING  CARDS 

ORDER  YOUR  CHRISTMAS  GREETING  CARDS  NOW! 

At  your  request  we  will  send,  free  of  charge,  our  illustrated  folder 
and  price  list. 

We  will  appreciate  your  sending  us  your  order  as  soon  as  possible 

Saturday  Night  Thoughts 

Will  Re  Ready  About  November  10th 

ORDER  NOW! 
Mail  Order  Given  Prompt  Attention 

Deseret  Book  Company 

44  EAST  ON  SOUTH  TEMPLE 


JOSEPH  WILLIAM  TAYLOR 

UTAH'S  LEADING 

1872  UNDERTAKER  1927 

Best  Equipped  for  Calls  Night  or  Day  in  or  Out  of  the  City 

Price  of  Caskets  at  Your  Suiting — Services  the  Latest  Advancement 

Phones  Wasatch  7600,  Both  Office  and  Residence 

21-25  SOUTH  WEST  TEMPLE  STREET 


Fire  Is  No  Respecter  Of  Persons 

You  may  wait  till  tomorrow  to  insure 
but  the  fire  may  not. 

"See  our  agent  in  your  town" 
UTAH  HOME  FIRE  INSURANCE  CO. 

HEBER  J.  GRANT  &  CO.,  General  Agents  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


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BEN   NETT  the                                                           . .      _             ._,.*—    ,^^ 

wCpher    NOW  IS  THE  TIME 

BENNETT 
GAS 

To 

SIMONIZ 

Your'  Car 

BENNETT 
GAS 

"Motorists  Wize  SIMOMZ" 

Keep  Your   Car   Looking   New 

10  Orange  Colored   Stations  at  Your  Service 

Accessories,  Alemiting,  Washing 

llr  An  Overall  with  a  >H| 

r    Bks'i  Classy  Appearance  ^C 

^Mountaineer 

EXPRESS  STRIPE 

OVERALLS 


(ilARASITEED       FOR       QUALITY, 
FIT,    AND    SERVICE 

A    clean,    neat    appearing    garment 
for  the  Store  Cierk,  the  Flour  Mill 
Operator,      the 
Dairyman,    the 
Garage    Man,     the 
Teamster. 

>  one   Toe 
Large 


Suppose  We  Should  Guarantee  You  the  Fulfilment  of  these 
Desires — Would  You  Not  Think  it  Marvelous? 

Your  income  to  continue  even  though  accident  or  Illness  should  suddenly  snatch 
you  away  or  render  you  unfit  for  work.  An  income  for  your  wife— a  college 
education  for  your  children.  The  ownership  of  your  home  in  ten  years  from  now. 
The  possibility  of  retirement  and  the  joy  of  travel  and  leisure  in  your  later  years. 

Impossible?     Absolutely  not.     These  dreams  can  be  realized 
if    you    act    now — Make    today's    hopes    realities    tomorrow. 

A  Beneficial  Policy  is  the  Key  to  Success 
Blots   out  your  worries— Brings  peace   of  mind 

Beneficial  Life  Insurance  Go. 

Home  Office,  Vermont  BIdg. — Salt   Lake 
Heber  J.  Grant,  President  Lorenzo  N".   Stohl,  Manager 


*oiatfnoi£ 


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